Patient-Focused Care – A Thing of the Past?

Patient-Focused Care – A Thing of the Past?

The dental profession has long been characterized by privately owned practices, where the dentists and the dental team forge personal relationships with their patients and deliver care tailored to their individual needs. Unfortunately, dental insurance has already eroded this relationship by dictating what procedures are appropriate for the insured and continues to be further damaged by corporate dentistry. The strength of the doctor-patient relationship is built over time, grounded in trust, familiarity and personalized care. When a corporate entity takes over a practice, these foundational pieces are pushed aside in favor of a healthier bottom-line.

In today’s world, personal relationships are becoming increasingly less common. Texting is the new norm for communicating. TikTok and YouTube are hubs for entertainment and news. Facebook, X, and Instagram are the means used to interact with people. Long gone are the days when people picked up a phone and had actual conversations. Writing a letter is laughably antiquated. Meeting a group of friends for an event seems incredibly daunting and difficult to arrange. This lack of person-to-person, meaningful interaction is seen in other areas as well, not just our social lives. How often do we make an appointment with our Primary Care Physician and the only availability is with a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner? This does not downplay the qualifications and value of these professions. However, it speaks to the lack of access to someone with the expertise that may be necessary and desired for a patient. Aside from scheduling with your doctor, it is almost certain you will not see the same provider every visit. This prevents us from developing a relationship with our provider and customizing our care for our personalized needs. What are my medical goals? What activities do I engage in that inhibit or benefit my overall health? What family history may predict future health issues? This lack of personalized health care is far too common, and sadly, it is invading the dental profession as well.

Another major concern about corporate dentistry is their focus on profitability. Cost-cutting measures are implemented by the corporate standard. Corners are cut by using cheaper materials, utilizing foreign labs, hiring less experienced staff, and scheduling shorter appointments. These changes result in a lower quality product. Who is accountable for this product? Is it the owner/dentist who never sets foot in the physical office? Is it the dentist who produces the work and has no ownership in the practice or community? Ultimately, there is no accountability. No one’s reputation is at stake. However, in a privately owned dental practice, the dentist is intimately involved in the community, and needs to work to preserve and advance his or her reputation in this same community by being accountable for their work.

On top of this lack of accountability, in a corporate dental practice, the practicing dentist is faced with challenges presented by the corporate standard. They lose their professional autonomy, as their decision making is now handled by the “higher-ups” of the corporation. These decision makers may not even be dentists, but somehow, they believe they can make decisions on what materials are used, what systems are implemented, what labs and vendors to use, and what staff to hire and retain. The loss of autonomy further degrades the professional character of the dentist, as they feel they are no longer able to prioritize patient care over corporate interests. Quotas, ROI’s, Profit&Loss’ are king – quantity over quality.

Ultimately, patient-driven care is becoming a concept of the past. Fortunately, at Dentistry By Design, this is a core value of our practice. We spend extra time with our patients to learn about their lives – where they work, hobbies, kids/grand kids, etc. We work to understand their treatment goals and any fears or anxieties they may have. We want to learn about the patient as a whole before we determine how we can best manage their dental needs. We have total control over the materials we use and openly discuss this with our patients. We want them to be a part of the decision-making process. We use dental laboratories located in Michigan and Ohio because of their commitment to excellence, not based on cost. We are constantly investing in ourselves with education, training and new technology. Our commitment is to our patients and the results we work to achieve together – not shareholders or insurance companies.

AJ Balaze, D.D.S.