Experts on dental health fraud suspect that over a billion dollars a year is spent on dubious, unnecessary, and poor-quality dentistry.
Dental diseases are among the most common ailments in the United States, accounting for over $70 billion in bills. The majority of dentists work in the privacy of their own office where they usually are not subject to review by knowledgeable colleagues. This situation, plus the fact that the harm done by poor dental care may not become apparent for many years, makes it difficult for consumers to evaluate the quality or the necessity of the treatment they receive.
Experts on dental health fraud suspect that over a billion dollars a year is spent on dubious dentistry. The February 1997 issue of Reader's Digest contained an article, "How Honest Are Dentists?" that illustrated the vast potential for unnecessary over-treatment by unscrupulous dentists. The author, William Ecenbarger, went to 50 dentists in 28 states and asked what dental treatment he needed to have done. He brought a recent full set of x-rays and told the dentists he was satisfied with the way his teeth looked. He had previously been examined by an expert panel of dentists (I was a member of the panel) and told he had 2 teeth that needed repair. Many of the dentists he saw told him he needed numerous crowns, the dentist in New York City recommended 21 crowns and veneers on the lower 6 front teeth at a cost of $29,850. Only 21 dentists performed an oral cancer screening and only 14 did the recommended periodontal screening. In addition, a number of the dentists missed the 2 teeth that needed treatment and recommended other work.
ACSH believes that unnecessary and unscientific dentistry poses a substantial risk for the American public. This report identifies the main problem areas and suggests what can be done about them.
BELOW IS A TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THE FULL REPORT, WHICH CAN BE DOWNLOADED FOR FREE AT THE RIGHT MARGIN.
