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Dentists, Dentistry, and the Crystal Ball
ment when that is threatened. That picture will be enhanced further when the professional soci eties in those other remaining states where in surance code changes are required come to gether to effect them. In addition to its intrinsic importance, the exemplar value of what is being done is equally noteworthy. Actions like these vindicate the argument that professional associations are in deed capable o f successful, hard-nosed cam paigns to protect the status and legitimate eco nomic self-interest of the nation’s dentists. Mem bers of the profession do not have to look to other types of organizations to meet their needs
in this changing health world provided that they are willing—as so many oral surgeons and other dentists showed themselves to be in this instance —to cooperate and make full use of their readily available resources for positive, effective ac tion. The relationships dentists are having and will continue to have with third party move ments, with governmental programs, and with new consumer organizations will prove far more fruitful and satisfactory if we all make full use of the organizational resources we already have at our disposal rather than wasting time in search es for new, unproved methods o f organized ac tion.
Opinion of O ther Journals
D e n tis ts , d e n tis tr y , a n d t h e c r y s ta l b a ll ■■■Wishful thinking, to have a crystal ball. If we had one, what would we see? What images would be conjured up concerning dentistry to day? A s I gaze into my own illusionary crystal ball, I see a profession changing; too fast for some and much too slowly for others. I see col leagues proclaiming that we are on the thresh old of a glorious era. I see others who are con vinced our star is on the descent and we will all eventually be punching a time clock for some super governmental dental agency. I also see dentists who are happy in their work, chang ing their mode of practice; assimilating fresh thoughts and new concepts into their profes sional lifestyles. We are by nature a most independent and basically self-reliant breed. Historically, we have worked as individuals— essentially a cot tage industry. With our patients’ confident ap proval we placed restorations we decided were best; outlined treatment programs w e wanted our patients to have, and maintained their oral health as we saw fit. The individual practitioner is no longer an island unto himself. People and boards begin to ask why you did thus and so. H ow did you ar 526 ■ EDITORIALS / JADA, Vol. 87, September 1973
rive at your fee? You are requested to submit before and after x-rays. You must often get per mission from some faceless bureaucrat before you can proceed with treatment. Indeed, things are not like they used to be! True to the character of the mystic seer, I gaze even deeper into the magic ball. Though it is difficult, the panorama becomes clearer. The images begin to sharpen and the future appears more optimistic. I see doctors more concerned with their profession than ever before. I see more involvement with organized dentistry and its political implications. I see practitioners no longer content to take their diploma and dis appear into their offices, never to be heard from again. I see a new awareness and a new chal lenge—a new professional man! If you have a crystal ball and take the time to gaze into it, I hope sincerely you will see some of the things I do! The images are not illusions— they are facts. You do not have to be a mystic to realize that our future, to a large extent, is in our very own hands. Harold F . Klein This editorial appeared in the April 1973 issue of the Journal of the Kentucky Dental Association.
in this changing health world provided that they are willing—as so many oral surgeons and other dentists showed themselves to be in this instance —to cooperate and make full use of their readily available resources for positive, effective ac tion. The relationships dentists are having and will continue to have with third party move ments, with governmental programs, and with new consumer organizations will prove far more fruitful and satisfactory if we all make full use of the organizational resources we already have at our disposal rather than wasting time in search es for new, unproved methods o f organized ac tion.
Opinion of O ther Journals
D e n tis ts , d e n tis tr y , a n d t h e c r y s ta l b a ll ■■■Wishful thinking, to have a crystal ball. If we had one, what would we see? What images would be conjured up concerning dentistry to day? A s I gaze into my own illusionary crystal ball, I see a profession changing; too fast for some and much too slowly for others. I see col leagues proclaiming that we are on the thresh old of a glorious era. I see others who are con vinced our star is on the descent and we will all eventually be punching a time clock for some super governmental dental agency. I also see dentists who are happy in their work, chang ing their mode of practice; assimilating fresh thoughts and new concepts into their profes sional lifestyles. We are by nature a most independent and basically self-reliant breed. Historically, we have worked as individuals— essentially a cot tage industry. With our patients’ confident ap proval we placed restorations we decided were best; outlined treatment programs w e wanted our patients to have, and maintained their oral health as we saw fit. The individual practitioner is no longer an island unto himself. People and boards begin to ask why you did thus and so. H ow did you ar 526 ■ EDITORIALS / JADA, Vol. 87, September 1973
rive at your fee? You are requested to submit before and after x-rays. You must often get per mission from some faceless bureaucrat before you can proceed with treatment. Indeed, things are not like they used to be! True to the character of the mystic seer, I gaze even deeper into the magic ball. Though it is difficult, the panorama becomes clearer. The images begin to sharpen and the future appears more optimistic. I see doctors more concerned with their profession than ever before. I see more involvement with organized dentistry and its political implications. I see practitioners no longer content to take their diploma and dis appear into their offices, never to be heard from again. I see a new awareness and a new chal lenge—a new professional man! If you have a crystal ball and take the time to gaze into it, I hope sincerely you will see some of the things I do! The images are not illusions— they are facts. You do not have to be a mystic to realize that our future, to a large extent, is in our very own hands. Harold F . Klein This editorial appeared in the April 1973 issue of the Journal of the Kentucky Dental Association.