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The Things That Are Caesar's
E D ITO RIAL D EPAR TM E N T.
565
a barrier at once mediaeval and ecclesiastical in its relentlessness and irreconciliation. Such is the conflict that prevails thru medicine and dentistry, but back of the superficial conflict is the steady, earnest effort of science striving to find the truth. On some subjects it has spoken indisputably. We wonder why there is not more unity when such are concerned. Safety is more apt to be in its halls than in the hurried marts of untabulated and unstudied activity, and it must not be supposed that those who lead in scientific endeavor are removed from the common thorofares where men with their myriad ills pass by.
THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR’S. E d ito r’ s N o t e 'U nde r th is g en eral title, ONE H U N D R E D P E R C E N T C O L L E C T IO N S , a series o f a r tic le s has been p rep ared b y the S av in gs D ivision o f the T re a su ry D epartm en t, U n ite d States G o ve rn m ent, f o r T h e Jou rn a l o f the N a tio n a l D en tal A s s o c ia tio n . T h ese a rticle s w ill a p p e a r m onthly. T h ey are earn estly com m en ded to the th o u g h tfu l c o n s id e ra tio n o f the d en tal p r o fe s sio n .
In the earlier stages of the War, an anxious man appeared before a high Gov ernment official. He was concerned as to the future of his business, and that of other men in the same line of industry. Frankly, he was frightened, and he said so, at great length. When he had talked himself out, the official, who had given up his own business to serve the Government, looked at him quietly. “ If you’re a man,” he said, “ you’ll see that you get what is coming to you. If I’m a man, I’ll see that you get no more.” The business man reflected a moment. “ That’s fair enough,” he said, and on that elementary basis was developed a cooperation which extended thruout the War, and maintained the industry in splendid condition. How does the average dentist measure up to this specification for a man ? Professionally, he goes. far. The dental surgery developed in the United States is pre-eminent in the world. From London to Vladivostok, the “ American dentist” is sought. In the waste places of the planet, a thousand miles is thought not too far to travel if he is to be found at the end of the journey. Clearly, the dentist is delivering the goods, and in doing so he has at once elevated the standards of his profession and performed a national service of rare worth. The other side of the shield is not so bright. The dentist does not get what is coming to him. In theory', his collections are sixty, or eighty, or ninety per cent, but the theory is fundamentally untrue. There is, in fact, a 100 per cent collection of every dollar’s worth of professional service a dentist renders. Somebody pays for it. I f the patient does not, the dentist does, or some other patient must. Here is a three-way justice, or injustice. It starts with the dentist. I f he serves the public to the extent of a ten thousand dollar annual practice, and re ceives only $7,000 in fees, there is a shortage of $3,000 and it is going to be paid. Manifestly, the dentist should not pay for it. T o spread it over the bills of thrifty patients would be unjust. It can rightfully be paid only by the person who owes it, nor can the dentist evade his share of the responsibility of seeing that it is so paid. Various devices to this end are now in fairly general use, and none of them have solved the problem. If they had, it wouldn’t exist. The “ monthly statement” is not a cure, nor is the personal dun. The bill collector, as such, or the attorney who handles collections, is not a cure, altho some of them show amazing versatility. They are but palliatives.
566
TH E JO URNAL OF TH E N A TIO N AL D EN TA L ASSOCIATION.
The 100 per cent collection, properly distributed, is purely a question of thrift, and thrift is a matter of education. This is demonstrable. More, it has been demonstrated; some dentists have known it and profited by it for a long time. Thrift, it so happens, is less a matter of chance than any other virtue. It runs in nations,— our not yet being one of them,— in whole sections of the country, in states, in parts of states, in communities, and in families. It is a hardy perennial, and when once rooted, persists for generations. Thrift can be planted anywhere, with sure results, but there is no better place than a dentist’s office. Here it is that the busy man finds a few moments of leisure, in the waiting room. He is alert and at his best because his mind is used to work ing under pressure during business hours. He may look at the rug or twirl his thumbs, to pass the time, but nine times out of ten he reads, and so does his wife. This is the opportunity, and the experiment is simple. Instead of more or less ancient magazines, place ten leaflets on thrift and War Savings beside the little tray that holds your professional cards. The strong probability is that all will be gone by night, but the Chairman of your local War Savings Committee will supply, not only the first ten, but enough for the next day, and every day thereafter. Your intensive culture of thrift will have been started. You can help it along as much as you please in your conversations with your patients; it will develop more rapidly in this way, but anyhow it will grow. Nothing can stop it. The nation looks forward to great prosperity. Prosperity depends upon con fidence, and confidence is based upon character. Thrift is character’s greatest stabil izer. The man who steadfastly practices it in the use of his time, his opportunities and his money, will have enough of each. He can afford even to be liberal; he can lend to the State in time of need. And he can pay his bills,-— your bills. The government asks the continued cooperation of the dentists of the United States. It will benefit you and it will aid the nation. W ill you cooperate? (D is c u s sio n an d su ggestion a lo n g the lin es o f th is a rticle are in vited , and s h o u ld be add ressed to the S av in gs D iv ision , T re a s u ry D epartm en t, W a sh in g to n , D. C .)
WHY DON’T THEY PAY THEIR BILLS? Dr. John Smith, a dentist in Smithville, has a large practice. His collections run from 45 per cent to 60 per cent. Dr. James Jones, dentist in Jonesburg, has a practice as large as that of Dr. Smith of the same class of people, but his collections average 95 per cent or better. W hy? Both Smithville and Jonesburg are towns of the same size. Both made up of the same average type of everyday folks, with about the same average income. But Dr. Jones’ patients pay and Dr. Smith’s patients do not. Now 100 per cent of the average citizens are instinctively honest. And every one of that 100 per cent knows that when he receives the benefit of his dentist’s services and fails to pay his dentist’s bill, that he is more or less dishonest. Instinc tively he is prompted to pay that dentist’s bill. Why doesn’t he do it? Generally he doesn’t do it because he hasn’t the money. The money that ought to go to the dentist is expended out of the family or individual income for some other purpose. It goes to some purpose which is closer to the everyday life of the man or woman who still owes the dentist. It usually goes for something that is of
565
a barrier at once mediaeval and ecclesiastical in its relentlessness and irreconciliation. Such is the conflict that prevails thru medicine and dentistry, but back of the superficial conflict is the steady, earnest effort of science striving to find the truth. On some subjects it has spoken indisputably. We wonder why there is not more unity when such are concerned. Safety is more apt to be in its halls than in the hurried marts of untabulated and unstudied activity, and it must not be supposed that those who lead in scientific endeavor are removed from the common thorofares where men with their myriad ills pass by.
THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR’S. E d ito r’ s N o t e 'U nde r th is g en eral title, ONE H U N D R E D P E R C E N T C O L L E C T IO N S , a series o f a r tic le s has been p rep ared b y the S av in gs D ivision o f the T re a su ry D epartm en t, U n ite d States G o ve rn m ent, f o r T h e Jou rn a l o f the N a tio n a l D en tal A s s o c ia tio n . T h ese a rticle s w ill a p p e a r m onthly. T h ey are earn estly com m en ded to the th o u g h tfu l c o n s id e ra tio n o f the d en tal p r o fe s sio n .
In the earlier stages of the War, an anxious man appeared before a high Gov ernment official. He was concerned as to the future of his business, and that of other men in the same line of industry. Frankly, he was frightened, and he said so, at great length. When he had talked himself out, the official, who had given up his own business to serve the Government, looked at him quietly. “ If you’re a man,” he said, “ you’ll see that you get what is coming to you. If I’m a man, I’ll see that you get no more.” The business man reflected a moment. “ That’s fair enough,” he said, and on that elementary basis was developed a cooperation which extended thruout the War, and maintained the industry in splendid condition. How does the average dentist measure up to this specification for a man ? Professionally, he goes. far. The dental surgery developed in the United States is pre-eminent in the world. From London to Vladivostok, the “ American dentist” is sought. In the waste places of the planet, a thousand miles is thought not too far to travel if he is to be found at the end of the journey. Clearly, the dentist is delivering the goods, and in doing so he has at once elevated the standards of his profession and performed a national service of rare worth. The other side of the shield is not so bright. The dentist does not get what is coming to him. In theory', his collections are sixty, or eighty, or ninety per cent, but the theory is fundamentally untrue. There is, in fact, a 100 per cent collection of every dollar’s worth of professional service a dentist renders. Somebody pays for it. I f the patient does not, the dentist does, or some other patient must. Here is a three-way justice, or injustice. It starts with the dentist. I f he serves the public to the extent of a ten thousand dollar annual practice, and re ceives only $7,000 in fees, there is a shortage of $3,000 and it is going to be paid. Manifestly, the dentist should not pay for it. T o spread it over the bills of thrifty patients would be unjust. It can rightfully be paid only by the person who owes it, nor can the dentist evade his share of the responsibility of seeing that it is so paid. Various devices to this end are now in fairly general use, and none of them have solved the problem. If they had, it wouldn’t exist. The “ monthly statement” is not a cure, nor is the personal dun. The bill collector, as such, or the attorney who handles collections, is not a cure, altho some of them show amazing versatility. They are but palliatives.
566
TH E JO URNAL OF TH E N A TIO N AL D EN TA L ASSOCIATION.
The 100 per cent collection, properly distributed, is purely a question of thrift, and thrift is a matter of education. This is demonstrable. More, it has been demonstrated; some dentists have known it and profited by it for a long time. Thrift, it so happens, is less a matter of chance than any other virtue. It runs in nations,— our not yet being one of them,— in whole sections of the country, in states, in parts of states, in communities, and in families. It is a hardy perennial, and when once rooted, persists for generations. Thrift can be planted anywhere, with sure results, but there is no better place than a dentist’s office. Here it is that the busy man finds a few moments of leisure, in the waiting room. He is alert and at his best because his mind is used to work ing under pressure during business hours. He may look at the rug or twirl his thumbs, to pass the time, but nine times out of ten he reads, and so does his wife. This is the opportunity, and the experiment is simple. Instead of more or less ancient magazines, place ten leaflets on thrift and War Savings beside the little tray that holds your professional cards. The strong probability is that all will be gone by night, but the Chairman of your local War Savings Committee will supply, not only the first ten, but enough for the next day, and every day thereafter. Your intensive culture of thrift will have been started. You can help it along as much as you please in your conversations with your patients; it will develop more rapidly in this way, but anyhow it will grow. Nothing can stop it. The nation looks forward to great prosperity. Prosperity depends upon con fidence, and confidence is based upon character. Thrift is character’s greatest stabil izer. The man who steadfastly practices it in the use of his time, his opportunities and his money, will have enough of each. He can afford even to be liberal; he can lend to the State in time of need. And he can pay his bills,-— your bills. The government asks the continued cooperation of the dentists of the United States. It will benefit you and it will aid the nation. W ill you cooperate? (D is c u s sio n an d su ggestion a lo n g the lin es o f th is a rticle are in vited , and s h o u ld be add ressed to the S av in gs D iv ision , T re a s u ry D epartm en t, W a sh in g to n , D. C .)
WHY DON’T THEY PAY THEIR BILLS? Dr. John Smith, a dentist in Smithville, has a large practice. His collections run from 45 per cent to 60 per cent. Dr. James Jones, dentist in Jonesburg, has a practice as large as that of Dr. Smith of the same class of people, but his collections average 95 per cent or better. W hy? Both Smithville and Jonesburg are towns of the same size. Both made up of the same average type of everyday folks, with about the same average income. But Dr. Jones’ patients pay and Dr. Smith’s patients do not. Now 100 per cent of the average citizens are instinctively honest. And every one of that 100 per cent knows that when he receives the benefit of his dentist’s services and fails to pay his dentist’s bill, that he is more or less dishonest. Instinc tively he is prompted to pay that dentist’s bill. Why doesn’t he do it? Generally he doesn’t do it because he hasn’t the money. The money that ought to go to the dentist is expended out of the family or individual income for some other purpose. It goes to some purpose which is closer to the everyday life of the man or woman who still owes the dentist. It usually goes for something that is of