In a world where dental care is not just about hygiene but also aesthetic appeal, dentists carry some of the biggest influence in the healthcare field. After all, with their proven years of medical expertise, how risky is it for patients to trust in their dentist’s diagnoses and treatments for their teeth? Apparently, very risky.
Recent months have seen a rise in cases of dental fraud committed by professionals across the US. The cases included those where patients were charged as though the DDS performed them when they were not present, and some were also charged for practices that were not even offered at the clinic to begin with.
In a more extreme case, the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (AGGA), a dental device meant to lengthen the jawbone, has caused an uproar as its effects have caused permanent damage to both the teeth and the bone holding them in place. The product was never reviewed by the FDA, and yet dentists were still being trained on the product and implementing it as treatment on thousands of unsuspecting patients.
With dental procedures ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, the stakes are higher for patients as they are putting a lot on the table at the recommendation of their trusted dentists. These steps are not taken lightly, as these procedures are seen as investments due to their prices. But what happens when these “investments” weren’t necessary in the first place, or worse, caused irreversible damage?
With these cases in mind, dentists will need to ask themselves, how do they continue to build upon their current patients’ trust and create it with new patients? Remember, patients might not be as trusting as they once were.
Sources: Becker’s Dental + DSO Review, CBS
