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Is private practice on its way out?
the health professional schools historically has been low er than the national ratio o f N egroes to whites. Second, the N egro applicant does not com pete as w ell scholastically as the w hite applicant for positions in th e freshm an classes. A nd third, the N egro student is less apt than the w hite stu dent to have the financial support necessary to com plete his education. T h e unfavorable ratio o f N egro to w hite den tists is worsening. Joseph L. Henry, dean, o f H ow ard U niversity’s School o f Dentistry, states that in 1967 only 75 potential N egro dental students ap p lied to his school. In 1961, 3 50 o f the total en rollm ent o f 4 0 0 at H ow ard w ere Negroes. D ean H enry’s concern is echoed by the deans o f other dental schools, many o f which have abol ished the requirem ent that applicants submit photographs. T h e deans say that they w ish to con tinue to provide p laces for N egro students in their freshm an classes, but w ith the selection o f students based alm ost exclu sively on academ ic performance, m any o f the w ould-be N egro dental students are passed over. T h is is an unfortunate boom eranging o f racial freedom . A t a tim e w hen the dem and for dental care is rising, especially by the low er incom e group, the d ecline in num ber o f N egro dentists is regrettable. Several approaches to the problem w ere highlight ed at a con feren ce on the N egro in m edicine. T h ese included financial support, special summer courses in prem edical studies, establishm ent o f prem edical program s in N egro colleges, spreading the freshman year o f m edicine over a longer span than on e academ ic year for certain students, im provem ent o f prem edical advisory programs, and recruitm ent o f m ore N egro w om en into m edicine. T here are m any parallels in dentistry and m edi cine, and the representation o f N egroes in the two professions is on e o f them. T he number o f N egro dentists and physicians should b e increased, and the solutions offered to the m edical profession can b e applied also b y the dental profession.
Opinion of Other Journals
/s private practice on its way out? M any prophets are heard about the land to day proclaim ing the doom o f private practice. T here is m uch fearful discussion concerning adopted and proposed legislation related to den tal care. A certain dem oralizing attitude has arisen w ithin our profession. Such words as, “T h e gov ernm ent w ill take over our practices. . .There will
be too much paper w o r k .. .T hey w ill tell m e how to run m y practice. . .1 don’t want to work for the governm ent,” are heard at alm ost any m eeting o f a group o f dentists. It is true that these federal programs, not fully understood and view ed with a negative attitude, m ay appear to sound the death-knell for private practice. T h ese sam e programs, however, view ed p osi tively and constructively could w ell b e the begin ning o f a great new era in dentistry. T h e leaders o f our profession have w isely adopted a positive approach to the problem . T h ey have seen the need for a C hildren’s D en tal H ealth Care Program. In stead o f blindly opposing suggested federal pro gram s as a matter o f principle, the A m erican D en tal A ssociation has w elcom ed the prospect o f pro viding a m uch needed service to our needy pre school and school age children. W ays are being sought w hereby this care w ill be rendered through the traditional private practice system. W hat a w onderful opportunity such a program cou ld offer! T h is program cou ld be an additional m eans for educating this and future generations o f children regarding the rewards o f regular and continuous dental care. It could be the w ay o f reaching the sixty per cent o f our population who never seek dental care o n a regular basis. T o o m any o f our young p eop le are h opeless dental cripples b efore they are old enough to vote. Let’s be realistic and consider w ho w ill render the additional care necessary to encom pass the large segm ent o f our society as envisioned under proposed federal programs. T h e m ost logical an swer is the private dentist and in his private o f fice. T he dentist m ay w ell have to change the na ture o f h is operations. H e m ay need m ore clerical help. H e w ill need m ore auxiliary personnel. T h ese are sm all adjustments w hen related to fu ture generations o f adults w ho have been trained from early childhood to value care for their oral structures through routine professional care. B lind resistance to change and an “I give up” attitude is foolish. Every segm ent o f our society is changing. A w illingness to change our w ays o f thinking and to w elcom e the opportunity to pro v id e dental care to an even larger and needy por tion o f our population w ill be rewarding in m any ways. T h e role o f the private dentist w ill be altered to include certain public obligations and this w ill greatly enhance the practice o f dentistry. N o , the private practice o f dentistry is N O T on its w ay out, and it never w ill be. A bright future lies ahead for the private dentist, he needs only to b e ready for it. Reprinted with permission of the editor, Harry L. Hodges, from the October, 1967 Virginia Dental Journal.
Opinion of Other Journals
/s private practice on its way out? M any prophets are heard about the land to day proclaim ing the doom o f private practice. T here is m uch fearful discussion concerning adopted and proposed legislation related to den tal care. A certain dem oralizing attitude has arisen w ithin our profession. Such words as, “T h e gov ernm ent w ill take over our practices. . .There will
be too much paper w o r k .. .T hey w ill tell m e how to run m y practice. . .1 don’t want to work for the governm ent,” are heard at alm ost any m eeting o f a group o f dentists. It is true that these federal programs, not fully understood and view ed with a negative attitude, m ay appear to sound the death-knell for private practice. T h ese sam e programs, however, view ed p osi tively and constructively could w ell b e the begin ning o f a great new era in dentistry. T h e leaders o f our profession have w isely adopted a positive approach to the problem . T h ey have seen the need for a C hildren’s D en tal H ealth Care Program. In stead o f blindly opposing suggested federal pro gram s as a matter o f principle, the A m erican D en tal A ssociation has w elcom ed the prospect o f pro viding a m uch needed service to our needy pre school and school age children. W ays are being sought w hereby this care w ill be rendered through the traditional private practice system. W hat a w onderful opportunity such a program cou ld offer! T h is program cou ld be an additional m eans for educating this and future generations o f children regarding the rewards o f regular and continuous dental care. It could be the w ay o f reaching the sixty per cent o f our population who never seek dental care o n a regular basis. T o o m any o f our young p eop le are h opeless dental cripples b efore they are old enough to vote. Let’s be realistic and consider w ho w ill render the additional care necessary to encom pass the large segm ent o f our society as envisioned under proposed federal programs. T h e m ost logical an swer is the private dentist and in his private o f fice. T he dentist m ay w ell have to change the na ture o f h is operations. H e m ay need m ore clerical help. H e w ill need m ore auxiliary personnel. T h ese are sm all adjustments w hen related to fu ture generations o f adults w ho have been trained from early childhood to value care for their oral structures through routine professional care. B lind resistance to change and an “I give up” attitude is foolish. Every segm ent o f our society is changing. A w illingness to change our w ays o f thinking and to w elcom e the opportunity to pro v id e dental care to an even larger and needy por tion o f our population w ill be rewarding in m any ways. T h e role o f the private dentist w ill be altered to include certain public obligations and this w ill greatly enhance the practice o f dentistry. N o , the private practice o f dentistry is N O T on its w ay out, and it never w ill be. A bright future lies ahead for the private dentist, he needs only to b e ready for it. Reprinted with permission of the editor, Harry L. Hodges, from the October, 1967 Virginia Dental Journal.