Recession grinds down on dentists, patients alike
The recession has been gnawing at the dental industry, with reports citing a drop in office visits and one professional noting more stress-related tooth problems.
“Many people see their dental care as secondary,” said Joseph Worthington, a dentist and the owner of Worthington Cosmetic Dentistry in Fairfield. “If you didn”™t have pain you didn”™t make an appointment.”
Insurance is a factor, he said, as many dental plans do not offer favorable rates so people dropped plans that had encouraged at least yearly office visits.
Gallup-Healthways, a clinical research data company in Nashville and Washington, D.C., polled 350,000 people and found that more than 34 percent did not visit a dentist last year.
The decline in visits is affecting the industry. A report from the American Dental Association indicated that dentists”™ incomes are dropping. It also reported an increase in patients without dental insurance seeking alternate payment plans as well as an increase in missed appointments.
Worthington, of course, is a proponent of proper dental hygiene and touts not only the health benefits but the social aspects as well.
“When you talk at a business event or networking meeting, your teeth (are) your stage ”¦ your first impression and last. You could be brilliant but all they may remember is your teeth,” he said.
He said poor dental hygiene is more common among men because women are more conscious of appearances.
“Many of these guys have become successful and have taken for granted their personal upkeep with their success,” said Worthington. “The same guys now have to go out again to either drum up business or go on interviews because they”™ve lost their position through the recessionary cuts. Having yellow, chipped or crooked teeth is not helping anyone. They tend to forget what appearance brings to the table.”
The recession is also to blame, he said, adding to people”™s stress levels.
“We”™re seeing much more fracture and breakage of teeth due to more clenching and grinding,” he said. “That is directly related to stress and (the) economic situation. If you talk to any businessman he most likely has slept worse these past two years than he ever did.
“Even if a business was doing well, a lot of business people were nervous and suffered from chronic pain, headaches and sleep apnea.”
Worthington said he practices what he preaches. He has been networking through chambers of commerce, Gotham City Networking and BNI groups, from Westchester County to New Haven in order to keep business steady through the recession.
“Traditionally that”™s not something doctors of any kind would do, network,” he said. “But today, unless you actively go out and deal with people and make an impression, you”™re not going to be able to generate much business.”
And patients, he said, want to see “the human factor” returned to the medical profession.
“The mentality today is back to basics,” he said. “You need to sell your service and product. You can”™t just sit back and be happy to be found on some insurance list.”
Worthington also recommends patients interview potential dentists.
“You want to see before and after, and that means actual work he has done, not something that was taken off the Internet,” he said.
“No patient should ever be afraid to question a doctor. It”™s your mouth and you have to live with it. You must be an intelligent consumer.”