dental surveys Archives - The Wealthy Dentist

Dentist Survey Reveals Support For Fluoridated Water

May 7, 2013 By Jim Du Molin 1 Comment

Dentists approve of adding fluoride to public water. In this dentist survey, we asked their views about public water fluoridation.

Most dentists approve of adding fluoride to public water supplies.

While most of our survey respondents think it’s a good idea, the 35% of dentists against fluoridated public water hold some strong opinions.

“Forced medication,” said one General Dentist.

“Mass medication is morally WRONG! This is especially true when there are better alternatives such as, in this case, FLUORIDATED SALT. Give people CHOICES and let them decide for themselves.” California Dental Implantologist

Here are a few comments from the 65% of dentists in favor of public water fluoridation:

“Absolutely. I practice in a rural setting and the difference between the children who live in a fluoridated community and those that don’t is astounding. It really does make a difference.” Wisconsin Dentist

“It is not as important as it was in the past as most processed foods and drinks are also made of fluoridated water. So, even communities that are not fluoridated are getting fluoride in their diets.” Texas Dentist

“If you ever practiced in an area with fluoride and moved to an area without it, you would be overwhelmed by the amount of decay, as I was.” Massachusetts Dentist

“If communities reject fluoridation, there will no longer be a ‘busyness problem’ for dentists!” North Carolina Oral Surgeon

Is your community’s water system fluoridated? Do you think it’s a good idea?

BPA & Dental Composite Safety (Survey Video)

May 7, 2013 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Controversies about chemical safety are hardly new to dentistry. So it’s not surprising to find that dentistsare split down the middle in their opinions about the use of dental composite and sealants that contain bisphenol-A, or BPA as it’s commonly known.

In this survey, 46% said they had concerns about safety, while 54% are not particularly worried.

Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey discuss dentists’ thoughts on BPA safety:

“I’ve never had a patient even mention it, unlike the wackos who won’t let fluoride touch their kids’ lips,” offered a Michigan Dentist.

“I have some worries about safety,” said one General Dentist. “To temper this, you’ve got to remember that ANYTHING in the body outside of what is indigenous is considered foreign and has potential to elicit yet another of those unexpected side effects, sort of like most of Congress’ laws. Since I stopped doing sealants years and years ago, I am less concerned about the effect on most adults.”

“Are any of my patients worried about BPA? They should be!” exclaimed an Orthodontist. “My kids will never have sealants. Sealants are BS. Another way the insurance companies dictate how a dentist can make money: by compromising morals, yet again.”

It’s worthwhile to bring up safety concerns about Bisphenol-A in dental sealants and fillings. Unfortunately, the science isn’t particularly clear.

We still don’t have definitive scientific evidence that everyone agrees on when it comes to mercury, or even fluoride. So don’t expect the BPA controversy to be resolved anytime soon.

Want your opinions heard in future surveys?

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Filed Under: Dental Videos Tagged With: BPA, dental sealants, dental survey videos, dental surveys

Dental Practice Management Survey: Dentists Favor Sealants

April 16, 2013 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Dentists favor dental sealants In this dental practice management survey, we asked dentists what they think about using dental sealants on young patients.

Most dentists are in favor of using dental sealants as standard treatment for children.

The majority of dentist respondents said sealants are great as standard dental treatment on most young patients.

However, a few survey particpants who practice dentistry for children have reservations. They think dental sealants should be used conservatively, and only on selected young patients.

“We only recommended sealants for patients with very poor home dental care, high caries risk, and deep developmental grooves in molars. Although, I would prefer to refrain from placing them. They tend to turn into restorations and develop decay underneath.”
Suburban dental practice

“Dental sealants are great for doing bulk cases in School Dental Programs. They can help to arrest Pit and Fissure Caries.” Urban dental practice

None of the dentists responding to our survey thought that dental sealants should be avoided completely.

How do you use dental sealants in your practice?

Filed Under: Dental Surveys Tagged With: dental sealants, dental surveys, dentistry for children

New Root Canal Patient Gross Production Value

January 22, 2013 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

The latest The Wealthy Dentist survey reveals that the average gross production of a new root canal patient in the first 9 months of treatment in 2012 was $2,300.

Suburban dentists reported higher production figures with amounts between $2,200 – $5,000.

Charles Blair of the Blair, McGill and Hill Group with Dr. Michael D. Goldstein have stated that “there is no greater potential for increasing your net hourly revenue than by doing your own uncomplicated endodontic procedures efficiently… analysis has consistently shown endodontics to have the highest dollar-per-hour and highest dollar-per-visit payoff of any [dental] procedure…” (Source: Dr. Michael D. Goldstein)

It has been estimated that approximately 40 million root canals are performed annually in the U.S. with a greater than 95% success rate.

A UCL Eastman Dental Institute systematic review of human clinical studies on tooth survival following non-surgical root canal treatment found four conditions that significantly improved tooth survival, making it an attractive dental procedure for many dental patients. In descending order of influence, the conditions increasing observed proportion of survival were as follows:

1. A dental crown restoration after RCTx.
2. Tooth having both mesial and distal proximal contacts.
3. Tooth not functioning as an abutment for removable or fixed prosthesis.
4. Tooth type or specifically non-molar teeth.

In The Wealthy Dentist root canal survey, general dentists were performing root canals and reporting average production profits between $1,800 and $3,000 for new root canal patients, while endodontists average $1,000.

One dentist responded, “Root canal therapy is a big money maker. It’s a great way to beef up the bottom line.”

What are your thoughts on the value of a new root canal patient?

Filed Under: Dental Surveys, The Wealthy Dentist Tagged With: Dental Marketing, dental practice production, dental production, dental survey, dental surveys, dentist, dentist marketing, dentistry, dentists, endodontist, Endodontists, root canal treatment, root canals, survey

Dentists Report on the Value of a New Dental Implant Patient

January 15, 2013 By Jim Du Molin 1 Comment

Dentists Report on the Value of a New Dental Implant Patient The latest The Wealthy Dentist survey reveals that the average gross production of a new dental implant patient in the first 9 months of treatment in 2012 was $4,400.

Urban dentists reported higher production figures with amounts between $3,000 – $15,200.

According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, statistics show that 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. By age 74, 26% of U.S. adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.

Dental implants have become an increasingly popular choice among dental patients for replacing their missing teeth.

The American Dental Association reports that approximately 3 million people have dental implants and that number is growing by 500,000 a year. The estimated U.S. market for dental implants is $1 billion.

In this survey, general dentists report average production profits between $1,200 and $15,200 for new dental implant patients, while prosthodontists average $5,000.

One dentist responded, “After referring my dental patients to specialists and getting back poor work I thought: How much worse can I do? Now I offer implants.”

What are your thoughts on the value of new dental implant patient gross production?