Over the
past year I have had the privilege of serving as ASDA president for my dental school
chapter. Through this experience one of the things that has become painfully
apparent to me is a lack of understanding of what organized dentistry is, its
history, and why it’s so important for dentists young and old to get involved. The
American Dental Association was founded in 1859 and today serves as the nation’s
largest dental association with more than 159,000 members nationwide. The American
Student Dental Association was founded in 1970 and today represents the voice
of 90% of all dental students in the country. Although I am partial to the ADA
and the ASDA there are many other special interest dental groups and student
dental groups to give voice to specific concerns. With these organizations and
the umbrella organization of the ADA and ASDA we can present with a unified
voice.
Organized
dentistry is a platform that allows dentists and dental student to come
together as a collective and give voice to our opinions to help shape the
future of dentistry. Dentistry is such a distinct profession and only dentists
or dental students can truly appreciate the challenges of practicing dentistry
and it is our duty to the profession to voice our opinions to ensure a bright
future for dentistry. Today the profession of dentistry is changing rapidly
with the reform in student licensure, use of midlevel providers, introduction
of corporate dentistry, and so many other changes. It is our job as dental
students and dentists to join our local association and voice our opinion on
these issues to make sure the future of this profession is protected. Writing from a student’s perspective, one of
the more recent issues that have really gained traction with both the ADA and
ASDA is the concept of student debt. According to the American Dental Education
Association the national average dental student debt is approximately $247,227
with many students reaching almost double that amount. So why is it so important to get involved? With
so much student debt many students are turning to different models of practice
in order to pay of their student debts. The increasing amount of student debt
is directly affecting how new dentists practice dentistry and where they
practice dentistry. This high debt is preventing young dentist from pursuing
careers in rural areas or public health due to financial reasons.
So
what is the ADA and ASDA doing about it? Currently ASDA and the ADA have been
working diligently together to combine the voice of dental students and
dentists alike to express the need to drive down the costs of dental schools
and provider alternative payment methods for graduating dentists. The ADA has
recently introduced the DRB student loan refinancing option, allowing students
to refinance their debt with Darien Rowayton Bank at interest rates starting at
1.88% APR variable or 3.25% APR fixed. Although this option isn’t the solution
to all our student debt issues it is a step in the right direction.
The
above mentioned is just one example of how organized dentistry is working to
improve the lives of dental students, dentists and the practice of dentistry.
However, these efforts are all in vain if we as a collective do not become
educated in the issues and become engaged in organized dentistry. A more
educated and engaged group of dentists and dental students allows for a
stronger voice in the ADA and ASDA, allowing our profession to have a stronger
voice as a whole.