Page 20 - NYSAGD GP Fall 2018

Has it Been Fifty Years Already?

By Ivy D. Peltz, DDS and Eric S. Studley, DDS

Fifty years ago, the New York State chapter photo since then. Generally speaking, all of tients can benefit from receiving more com-
of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) the students were male and white. Take a prehensive care.
did not exist. Back in 1968, the AGD itself look at a photo of a dental school class now.
was only a 16-year-old teenager. In NYS, There’s more than one gender and some In the past fifty years, the AGD has grown
quality continuing education for general more color, and we’re not just talking about into an international organization that
dentists was hard to obtain other than that the digital image. We’ve come a long way, reaches members near and far instanta-
provided by dental schools. My, how things baby! neously via various forms of social media.
have changed! For one, the AGD has grown Collaborations now abound, and the world
into the second largest dental organization Fifty years ago, dentists often kept their has become a smaller place, filled with
in the United States with over 40,000 mem- patient notes on index cards in cardholder continuing education opportunities that are
bers, and the NYSAGD has grown from a boxes. It would now be difficult to include accessible to all dental professionals. None-
fledgling group of forefathers meeting in the long list of medications for our many theless, the AGD continues to provide both
a basement into a vital, prominent organi- polypharmacy patients on that card. Life valuable content and personal challenge to
zation within the dental community. While has become more complicated, but now we its members, encouraging their commit-
that may seem like a short time to make have electronic health records to keep track ment to lifelong learning with honors such
such significant progress, think about how of all that complication. While many con- as Fellowship, Mastership, and Lifelong
much the profession itself has metamor- sider electronic health records to be a bane, Learning and Service Recognition Awards.
phosed in that time. We have progressed realistically, they simplify organization-
from a standard of care that relied heavily al and procedural systems. Imagine filing Fifty years is a long time, but when consid-
on extractions to one that emphasizes res- through index cards every time you need to ering the magnitude of changes that have
toration. It’s been decades since the profes- remember the name of your patient’s wife! occurred in our profession in that time, fifty
sion has embraced a preventive model. Now years seems nominal. But the changes didn’t
when teeth need to be replaced, we have the Fifty years ago, dentists focused mainly on happen in a vacuum. These changes required
option of implants, and progressive dentists the dentistry they were performing. We now the cooperation of like-minded colleagues
can even consider stem cell growth to create recognize that while dentistry is a healing who were working together toward a com-
a new tooth. profession, it is also a business. In addition mon goal of improved patient care. That’s
to educating ourselves about innovative just what the birth of the NYSAGD created
Fifty years ago, dental treatment was very procedures, dentists must learn business for its members – a forum to interact, bounce
simplistic. Dentists did not have a wide practices and philosophies. In addition to ideas off of each other, and to work togeth-
range of resources at their disposal. Diag- being a dental practitioner, an owner dentist er to support one another to make necessary
nostic tools comprised radiographs, a mir- often functions as a CEO, a human resourc- changes to improve our profession. We think
ror, and an explorer. The choices for tooth es expert, an attorney, a compliance officer, our forefathers would be proud.
replacement were limited and drastic. Re- an accountant, and an insurance advisor, or
storative dental procedures rarely restored must delegate to someone who will func- Dr. Ivy Peltz
teeth to their original appearance. During tion in those capacities. and Dr. Eric
the past fifty years, dentistry has become Studley were
more precise, but also more complex. Sal- Fifty years ago, some dentists were predict- both Group
ivary diagnostics and CT scans are now ing that preventive care would render us Practice Dir-
routinely utilized to guide effective treat- obsolete. Fortunately for our patients, we ectors and Cli-
ment. Implants are often the treatment of didn’t listen. We no longer use handpieces
choice. While a beautifully restored tooth as aggressively as we did back then. Oth- nical Asso-
can be indistinguishable from one that has er options abound. GV Black is finally an ciate Professors in the Department of
not been touched, techniques are constant- historical figure and we’re now teaching Cariology and Comprehensive Care
ly changing. With the introduction of new students to conserve tooth structure and to at the New York University College of
procedures that require additional training, embrace a model of preventive care. Dentistry, where Dr. Studley was the
continuing education, and lifelong learning director of the practice management
are more essential than ever before. Fifty years ago, dentists were able to enjoy curriculum. Dr. Studley is also the
a very comfortable lifestyle and some lei- CEO of a nationally based insurance
Fifty years ago, dental care was paternal- sure time. Fortunately, that’s one thing that brokerage company specializing in the
istic. The dentist determined what needed really hasn’t changed. The average starting insurance and financial needs of dentists
to be done, told the patient, and if the pa- salary for a new dentist is higher than ever
tient was able to pay the fee, then he would at approximately $150,000/year for a gen- (www.drericstudley.com). Dr. Peltz is
perform the treatment. Since then, evi- eralist and $250,000 for a specialist (U.S. a Master of the Academy of General
dence-based practice has incorporated the World News). While franchise dentistry and Dentistry and is in private practice in
patients’ needs and desires as an important multi-group practices are not new, they are New York City (www.ivypeltzdds.com).
component of a treatment decision. In ad- starting to grow and have added excellent
dition, rather than dentists’ decisions being job opportunities for dental professionals Dr. Ivy Peltz and Dr. Eric Studley have
largely empirical, dentists are now com- and access to care for our patients. Even been in the dental recruitment industry
pelled to base decisions on the best avail- though corporate involvement in the dental for 20+ years counseling students and
able evidence, their own knowledge and profession is increasing, dental corpora- clients on how to navigate finding the
capabilities, and the patients’ desires and tions still comprise only a small percentage right dental job or hiring the right dental
needs. Treatment decisions now rightfully of the profession. Furthermore, many dental
include the patient to whom the care will corporations are beginning to adopt a med- candidate. They are the co-founders of
be delivered. ical model of care. The care is all-inclusive Doccupations, an algorithmic dental job
and comprehensive – all phases of dentistry matching website (www.doccupations.
Fifty years ago, a dental school class pho- and medicine can be performed in one fa- com). Doccupations delivers a dental
to was black and white. But that isn’t the cility, within one organization. Dental and recruitment management tool to both
only distinction from a dental school class medical practitioners can benefit from the dental job seekers and dental employers
www.nysagd.org l Fall 2018 l GP 20 knowledge possessed by the other, and pa- with a real time matching product.