94 Main St., Hornell, NY 14843, 607-324-1032, Tues-Fri 8:30-4:30
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10 Things Your Dentist By WILLIAM MAULDIN AOL: 9. "That reminds me of a joke I once heard in rehab."The choice of a dentist is arguably as important as your choice of a family physician, but trying to distinguish good dentists from bad can be tough. For one thing, consumers have restricted access to complaints made about dentists to their state dental boards: Only complaints that have been investigated and substantiated are available for public scrutiny. Dr. JPM: That's true. Look up your dentist on the American Dental Association's web site: www.ada.org. State dental components are available too. In New York, it's http://www.nysdental.org/. You could also visit any of a number of other resources on the web. Do as much research as possible. You could also try asking the doctor himself if s/he is under investigation or whatever. AOL: Another worrisome fact: An estimated 15 to 18% of dentists are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and a 2002 study of the problem by the ADA had roughly 10% of dentists reporting they'd used illicit drugs in the past year. Not exactly a comforting thought with a drill stuck in your mouth, vibrating mere inches from your brain. To address the issue, most states have instituted programs where dentists can get treatment for addiction, temporarily surrendering their license to practice. That's obviously a good idea, but once again, the consumer is out of the loop: Dentists who submit to these programs do so with the promise of no public disclosure in most states. Dr. JPM: How do those stats compare to other professions? Without a context, the numbers seem worrisome, but do we have a similar number of school bus drivers or airplane pilots or Money Magazine journalists with addiction problems? Who knows, but the author is content to just drop the bomb and leave. OK, so I'll answer as if the statement had real credibility. Again, I can't speak for others, but in my small town, everybody knows everybody else's business. It is therefore common knowledge, I would think, that I personally have no drinking problems or drug addiction, am faithful to my wife and love my kids dearly. I don't care about cars or sports, but I do like my travel. Some might think me too concerned with money and that's a reasonable conclusion given the evidence. I work very hard! I 'am' the retirement plan, and my four kids won't get a dime of financial aid through college, ironically, because I work very hard! Additionally, I am willing to consider alternative business models in addition to dentistry, simply because as soon as the patients stop, so does the income. Please feel free to discuss with me your thoughts on how we can work with each other in a 'win-win' arrangement in real estate or internet based commerce. There's lots of possibilities out there for long term passive residual income, which is my real goal. It does take a team, so other entrepreneurs are welcome to join my team! AOL: So where can you turn for help to find a competent, trustworthy dentist? Dr. Oogle offers over 30,000 reviews of dentists nationwide. Looking for a Texas dentist? We found a complaint against one who suggested a patient take out a home-equity line of credit to pay for expensive veneers. Um, next. Dr. JPM: I'll bet he means "Dr. Google" and I would agree completely. Do your research. However, don't count out the dentists who think a bit "out of the box" when it comes to financing options. The interest on a home equity line of credit is deductible on your income taxes, and the rate of interest is much less than credit card financing (which is not deductible on your taxes). The fact that a complaint was lodged indicates that something went wrong with that plan, but on the surface, that plan is not to be dismissed so casually. Home equity lines of credit have been taken out for much more trivial, short term things than proper dental health, even if it was for a cosmetic procedure.
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