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A Dental Health Bill of Rights
EDITORIALS A Dental Health Bill of Rights Many members of the Ontario Dental Association are voluntarily contributing $200 each to a public relations fund that is being spent for more than just the fight against denturists. It is true that much of the money has gone into lobbying efforts aga in st a bill in the Ontario legislature giving dental technicians the right to deal directly with the public. But some of the wiser heads saw an opportunity to also better the profession's image in the eyes of the public while fighting the denturists. One of the best parts of the general public relations program , we think, is the printing of "A Dental Health Bill of Rights for the People of Ontario." This is an attractive document, printed in three colors on 12 x 16-inch parchment paper, that will be sent to every dentist in the province for framing and posting in his office. The document declares at the start that "all citizens of the Province of Ontario have the absolute right to the best possible health careincluding dental health ." It then asks the citizens of Ontario to support the " Dental Health Bill of Rights," which include s the following: fluoridation , children's dental care (which would be government-supported), dental education of citizens (also publicly supported), protection (with
denti sts having full responsibility for the oral health of patients and full supervision of dental auxiliaries) and serv ice (meaning having more dental auxiliaries available to serve the public , but only under the supervision of a dentist). Obviously, the bill of rights serves the interests of the public, but such a bill, in turn, also serves the interests of organized dentistry. The American Dental Association has the foundation for a bill of rights in its Guidelines for
Dentistry's Position in a National Health Program, but the rights are not stated as such. What the Canadians have done is set down their goals in simple terms and then ask the public -through every dentist in Ontario-for its support. This is a great idea. Unfortunately, it did not come until the Ontario Dental Association found itself under siege both from the government , which has been urging more dental service at less cost, and from the denturists who claimed they could provide prosthetic services directly to the public. Perhaps we need a bill of rights for our own people that would be displayed in dental offices throughout the United States. That would be a great idea too.
How sweet it isn't Health news items make strange bedfellows sometimes. Take the September Health Insurance News, a monthly press release from the Health Insurance Institute. One article reports on the new plaque control statement recently issued jointly by the ADA, the American Academy of Periodontology and the Public Health Service. The article notes that the joint statement "also underscored that 'the intake of sweets, particularly sweet snacks, should be limited.' " Cheek-to-jowl with thi s article is another with the headline "Test Sugar as Hiccup Cure." It states: "The next time you develop a serious case of
hiccup s-try swallowing one dry teaspoon of white granulated sugar. " That's the latest hiccup cure remedy being offered by medical science . "The new treatment, according to the Health Insurance Institute , is laboratory tested-and at last count worked in 9 out of 20 cases . . . . " That statistic is neither comforting nor convincing. Sugar did not work in 11 of the 20 cases. Many have said that skillfully applied statistics can convince almost anyone. But a statistic that could just as easily be derived from 20 flips of a coin? That is pure nonsense and shows once again that circus-man Barnum was right. JADA, Vol. 85, November 1972 • 997
denti sts having full responsibility for the oral health of patients and full supervision of dental auxiliaries) and serv ice (meaning having more dental auxiliaries available to serve the public , but only under the supervision of a dentist). Obviously, the bill of rights serves the interests of the public, but such a bill, in turn, also serves the interests of organized dentistry. The American Dental Association has the foundation for a bill of rights in its Guidelines for
Dentistry's Position in a National Health Program, but the rights are not stated as such. What the Canadians have done is set down their goals in simple terms and then ask the public -through every dentist in Ontario-for its support. This is a great idea. Unfortunately, it did not come until the Ontario Dental Association found itself under siege both from the government , which has been urging more dental service at less cost, and from the denturists who claimed they could provide prosthetic services directly to the public. Perhaps we need a bill of rights for our own people that would be displayed in dental offices throughout the United States. That would be a great idea too.
How sweet it isn't Health news items make strange bedfellows sometimes. Take the September Health Insurance News, a monthly press release from the Health Insurance Institute. One article reports on the new plaque control statement recently issued jointly by the ADA, the American Academy of Periodontology and the Public Health Service. The article notes that the joint statement "also underscored that 'the intake of sweets, particularly sweet snacks, should be limited.' " Cheek-to-jowl with thi s article is another with the headline "Test Sugar as Hiccup Cure." It states: "The next time you develop a serious case of
hiccup s-try swallowing one dry teaspoon of white granulated sugar. " That's the latest hiccup cure remedy being offered by medical science . "The new treatment, according to the Health Insurance Institute , is laboratory tested-and at last count worked in 9 out of 20 cases . . . . " That statistic is neither comforting nor convincing. Sugar did not work in 11 of the 20 cases. Many have said that skillfully applied statistics can convince almost anyone. But a statistic that could just as easily be derived from 20 flips of a coin? That is pure nonsense and shows once again that circus-man Barnum was right. JADA, Vol. 85, November 1972 • 997