THE EDITOR'S CORNER
Thirty-five years ago this month, I was aboard a ship somewhere off the coast of Ireland proceeding toward an as yet unidentified destination, when the loudspeaker announced in a matter-of-fact manner--"Unidentified aircraft, 8000 yards and closing." No sweat. Probably one of ours.
A second announcement followed shortly--"Six unidentified aircraft, 7000 yards and closing." No particular concern. They're probably ours.
"6000 yards and closing." "5200 yards and, closing." "4400 yards and closing." It had a kind of rhythm to it. But suddenly--"Six enemy aircraft. 3600 yards and closing." My God! They'll be here in seconds. The ship came alive to the incessant horn for "Action Stations" and the battle was on.
Look to the dental skies, my friends.
On the other hand, we have politicians--elected officials--for whom there may be more dental patients who vote than there are dentists who vote. For many of them, lower dental fees for health care is a buzz word to which they react instinctively. But, many legislators also depend on lobbies for their information and dentistry has been negligent in this regard. We have been very reluctant to spend money, time, and effort to influence legislation and to educate the public.
On the other hand, we have government department employees who are not elected officials who may be largely responsible for an attempt to impress upon the American way a scheme of socialized dentistry which is contrary to American concepts of professionalism and to the high value that the American people place upon the present system of dental care. I believe that some who do this are followers of ideas about community responsibility that have evolved in academic settings; some are disenchanted with the American system and American institutions and believe that any change would be an improvement; some have personal prejudices against intellectualism, the professions, and dentists; some are advocating economic solutions to social problems.
There seems to be a trend on the part of legislatures to turn over to the various departments in the executive branch of government the regulation of business and professions and the enforcement of these regulations by administrative edict. There also seems to be a trend for the judiciary to legislate, as in the Bates decision regarding professional advertising. There is evidence that the legislators would like to turn to judicial and executive decisions as in their investigations of assassination.
A good deal of the thinking among those in all three branches of government with decision-making power with regard to dentistry seems to have crystallized into a belief that dentistry is a skilled trade which is largely mechanical in nature. It is otherwise unbelievable that denturist legislation would receive serious consideration, let alone enactment; or that self-employed expanded duty auxiliaries would be encouraged; or that it would be contemplated that dental procedures in the future would largely be performed by auxiliary technicians. It is otherwise unbelievable that individual advertising by dentists would be promoted; or that the FTC could nullify the ability of organized dentistry to represent the profession. Apparently, we have not felt strongly enough about the importance of what we do to recognize the attacks for what they are and to resist them with every resource we can summon.
Since it is easier to believe that events will proceed along the lines that have been started than that we shall see a return to conventional and traditional concepts of the dental profession, orthodontists must consider the possibility, even the likelihood, that not too far down the road some bureaucrat will decide that straightening teeth merely requires a certain amount of technical training in a specialized area of attachments and wires. The threat to the integrity of orthodontics that is provided by this scenario is greater than any other.
As against this type of reasoning, an orthodontist could believe that this is not going to happen; or that it is not going to happen soon enough to affect him; or that it may happen, but he will be able to continue to attract enough patients in his present mode of practice to avoid the effects of such a happening; or that he will be able to reeducate or retrain himself to so strengthen the non-technical aspects of orthodontics that he will be in demand as a doctor of dentofacial orthopedics, or a specialist in adult orthodontics, or a specialist in TMJ, or a specialist in some other circumscribed area in orthodontics. All I am saying is that you have to take a look at the dental skies. Do you see anything on the scope? Is it friendly or not? Decide now, if you can, what you should be doing about it. Don't wait for "Action Stations". You only have one response at that point.
