Are Dental Practices Out of Control in the United States?
17th October 2024
A series of recently published opinions and letters in JAMA Internal Medicine present varying perspectives on the current state of US dental care all emphasize the need for evidence-based practices and changes in economic models.
The conversation kicked off in the July issue when Paulo Nadanovsky, DDS, Ph.D. and colleagues presented “Too Much Dentistry,” arguing that dental diseases and procedures are highly prevalent, costly, and often exceed spending on other major health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
They suggest that dental care in the U.S. is driven more by economic pressures and patient trust than clinical evidence, leading to excessive diagnoses and interventions.