Is There A Future To The Specialty Of Periodontics?

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As most of you are aware there has been a decrease in perio referrals across the country…

Why is this happening? And what can be done about this?

Many of you received the AAP email that shows an empty dental chair….

Many thoughts as to the decline in perio referrals…

Ie more perio being treated in the gp office

Use of Arestin and other materials….

But this should really be increasing the referrals of perio cases…?

Or are they getting lost in the “black Hole” of hygiene in the general practice office?

Does the hygienist who does the scalings in the gp office, feel inadequate when she has exhausted

All non-surgical attempts and now needs to refer this patient out?

On the educational level what is being done about this?

What is the AAP doing about this?

The other issue that may affect the periodontists future is in the implant field.

We have talked about this in the past…

Many gp’s are beginning to place dental implants ….. and this is being taught in dental schools. (We know this is common place in Europe)

The prosth programs are also teaching implant placement? Are the perio residents going to be taught how to restore dental implants? Or should all the programs become perio-prosth?

Something is wrong here????

Are we eliminating the field of periodontics as a specialty?

Any and all comments are appreciated…

The above comments have been sent to me by some individuals in this message board and I felt that these comments should be shared with the group And perhaps be passed on to the hire-ups in the dental community.

Food for thought…..

For those of you celebrating, wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year…and an easy fast.

Alan

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Dear Alan,

I wish you a happy Sweet Year. Best always, LUIS

LUIS

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Alan,

You might as well try to reverse Islamist fundamentalism (or any other religious group with irreversible zeal). I have witnessed this being a topic since I went in to private practice in 1980 – when the Keyes’ Technique swept the country. At that time, the East Coast was feeling a “major pinch” on business and since the rest of the country wasn’t, the AAP paid no attention to the cries for help (advertisement, public service announcements, education within Dentistry).

Maybe, as before, it’s only the metropolitan areas that are feeling the pinch at this time. If not, why isn’t the AAP supporting the Periodontal Community by being aggressive with the ADA and the GPs? After all, you, me and most other Periodontists still see the lack of diagnosis and/or referral of Periodontal Disease.

Nothing changes until a crisis. That’s our culture. Just look at our country’s current governmental and financial situation.

Tony

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I don’t know, Tony.

Now you’re mixing religion and politics with implant dentistry. Soon,
you’ll add Perio or other heretic topics.
BUT, I agree that we should, maybe even as a blog group, come up with some
sort of “policy statement” and send it to our reps for AAP, ADA and see if
they are willing/able to “fight” for us.

Bob

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Karl

Do you mean the AAP actually standing up for us, our specialty, our practices and our dues that keep them alive?
I received this email in the office last week. As you can imagine, I was surprised that it came to me. I wonder how many dentists (of all flavors) it was sent to. AND where they got the mailing list.
I’m sending a copy to my AAP rep, Joe Cristoforo. I’ll also try to get one to the NESP people.
Let’s see if our “advocates” actually do something for the membership at large.

Bob

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Thanks for the input so far…

Can someone email me Don Clem and Susan Karabin’s email addresses and any other “political Periodontists”

So I can forward the blog to them

Lee, thanks for your sharing of ideas to the group..

I have been primarily working with my gp’s and prosth referrals, but in the past 1.5 years have done a little public marketing mostly

With the local newspapers and it has been interesting.

Talk to you more directly about this if you want…not sure if the group is interested.

Thanks again,

Alan

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