Dental Marketing and Practice Management

Chancellor Gordon Brown is widely regarded as the second most powerful politician in the UK, and he’s Tony Blair’s heir apparent. He’s made the news recently for visiting a private dentist rather than an NHS one for a root canal treatment. This is particularly awkward given his vocal criticism of those British citizens who opt out of NHS treatment and seek private doctors instead – a tendency that’s doing no favors to the already-struggling public health system.

Last week, Chancellor Brown visited the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry to see leading private dentist Dr. Mervyn Druian. (Pictures were even snapped of him leaving the center – see below.) Though embarrassed by the publicity, Brown has defended his choice of dentist for a number of reasons:

1. He’s seen Dr. Druian for dental work during the past 11 years.
2. Dr. Druian is a friend of Chancellor Brown’s wife.
3. Since the Chancellor rarely visits a dentist, he does not have an NHS dentist.
4. The emergency nature of the dental work requires finding a private dentist.
5. Seeing a private dentist is not the same slap to NHS as seeing a private GP.

Other senior Cabinet members have rushed to champion their own use of NHS dentists. Tony Blair entrusts his teeth to the NHS, as do a number of other political heavyweights and hopefuls. (Or so their representatives claim…)

One thing has come out in the Chancellor’s favor – news reports indicate that he opted to be treated without anesthetic because he wanted full control of his mouth for a speech he was delivering later that day. And so his dentist drilled through deep nerve tissue, and Brown felt every moment of the procedure. Perhaps having the strength to undergo root canal work without anesthetic suggests the strength to lead a nation? I think we should seriously consider making this a standard protocol for all American politicians.

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