So I was wondering what you guys thought about this in a serious way. Dentistry evolved separate from medicine in the US in the 19th century due to the high demand. Every body needed a dentist and everybody needed a physician.
Both physicians and dentists made up doctorate degrees to associate themselves with real doctors in academic institutions. Neither the MD or the DMD are real doctorates in the literal sense of the word. Doctor means to teach in latin. At the time the there were a lot of Quack physicians and dentists running around. The doctor title allowed the real deal to market themselves for patients to easily find educated help.
Today with fluoridation and patient education it seems like demand for dentists is declining. Youth need less fillings than any generation before due to fluoridated water protection. Almost nobody smokes anymore.
and the dentists are doing most of the work on poly-pharm older patients who's cocktail of drugs are ruining their teeth and replacing silver fillings which wear out after about 10 years.
At the same time Dental school now costs more than medical school. Tuition is roughly $50,000 for med and $60,000 for dental. Dental schools are expensive as hell to run. The first two years are almost the exact same as medical school and some schools even integrate them right with the med students.
I'm wondering if we will see the collapse of Dentistry as a separate profession in our lifetimes. Dental schools are becoming more and more expensive to run, becoming more and more reduntant with medical schools as they realize that teeth are part of the body, and the need for dentists is declining in the developed world.
I predict that within our lifetimes we will see future dentists get an MD and then train in residency to do the dental surgeries that are currently taught in dental school.
This would be a cheaper alternative for patients and doctors. It would also reduce the volume of dentists being trained every year to match the decline in need for dentists.
Thoughts?
Sebastian King
This is totally wrong. I'm not in dental school, starting medical school, but a lot of people in my family in dentistry.
Dental demand is expected to grow like 20% or something, which is good.
Dental schools are more expensive, but you can make more money as a general dentist than a family doctor. The hours are better, and less training.
Everyone needs a dentist now and they will for a long time. A lot of peoples teeth are shit, you have no idea.
Grayson Diaz
Well its expected to grow with the aging boomers. They all have silver fillings that need replaced. but after the boomers are gone? The population itself will drop AND most of these younger generations grew up with flourdiated water, which means their teeth are much more resistant to caries.
Ryder Clark
>which means their teeth are much more resistant to caries. this ain't true and most dentist problems are not cavities
Eli Allen
Yeah fluoride gets woven in to the hydroxy apetite crystal structure and its not really worth arguing about at this point.
Owen Cruz
Which weakens the teeth, making them more brittle, and does nothing to prevent cavities
The best way to prevent cavities is to not go to dentists so they don't scrape the shit out of your teeth with a sharp metal tool.
Dominic Moore
Millenials don't go to the dentist. Once Gen X dies out, dentistry will go the way of the old fashioned straight razor barber shop.
