Why do most dentists underestimate how many patients have serious unaddressed dental problems? Because the patients they see day-to-day are the patients already inside the preventive system. The dentist with a healthy hygiene practice has a skewed view of dental reality, full of patients with minor issues and good habits. The deep-disability patients live outside that view. They exited the preventive system years ago because of cost or trauma. They never entered the system to begin with. Their teeth deteriorated through years of avoidance. There are millions of these patients in every market, and most general dentists do not believe they [...]

Why do most dentists underestimate how many patients have serious unaddressed dental problems? Because the patients they see day-to-day are the patients already inside the preventive system. The dentist with a healthy hygiene practice has a skewed view of dental reality, full of patients with minor issues and good habits. The deep-disability patients live outside that view. They exited the preventive system years ago because of cost or trauma. They never entered the system to begin with. Their teeth deteriorated through years of avoidance. There are millions of these patients in every market, and most general dentists do not believe they [...]

Why do most dentists underestimate how many patients have serious unaddressed dental problems? Because the patients they see day-to-day are the patients already inside the preventive system. The dentist with a healthy hygiene practice has a skewed view of dental reality, full of patients with minor issues and good habits. The deep-disability patients live outside that view. They exited the preventive system years ago because of cost or trauma. They never entered the system to begin with. Their teeth deteriorated through years of avoidance. There are millions of these patients in every market, and most general dentists do not believe they [...]