Where is dentistry going? A chain of prevention practices.

Partners In Prevention 1Three news items crossed my desk in the past month. All seem to point to a future for dentistry which features more specialization around managing the cause of poor oral health.

One news item was a video interview with a number of dental opinion leaders in Minnesota, about the emerging role of dental therapists. Dental therapists are a new movement in the US who address the issues of dental access and affordability. In an aging, uninsured and increasingly needy population, the movement to dental therapists can only grow.

Another item was the announcement by Martindale Dental of its 6th new dental practice in the Greater Toronto Area. Corporate dental chains offer longer hours, more convenient locations and can advertise to their community in a more sustained and effective manner than the sole practitioner. In the US, they also often deliver care more affordably and I see that role to be emphasized in the future.

Lastly, to see some key patterns in the future of healthcare, one looks to the US and its experimentation with healthcare reforms and innovation. A recent announcement by a major insurer in Florida shows that in medicine, specialized clinics for managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart syndrome and COPD are emerging to work in parallel with the family practitioners and insurers.

Lots of different threads of change for sure, but what it all comes down to is more specialization in dental care. For example, think of this: a chain of prevention clinics to manage the most common and expensive chronic diseases past mid life — oral diseases. This chain would offer a unique and compelling proposition: affordable, painless management of the cause of poor oral health.

For more information, please visit: http://partnersinprevention.ca/where-is-dentistry-going-a-chain-of-prevention-practices/.

By: Ross Perry
SOURCED: Partners In Prevention – www.partnersinprevention.ca

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