Most of my life, I never had a need to see a doctor to treat anything serious. I have to admit that I do not even have a family doctor, since the last one retired about 15 years ago. He took my last blood pressure readings, blood and urine for testing. It was so long ago. I passed with flying colors, so I do not feel any urgency, although I am reminded that I am playing with fires and that preventive medicine and regular checkups should be order of the day. I have developed a healthy fear of doctors. I Imagine that if they would find out anything about me, how that could disrupt my life. Is there bliss in my ignorance? I am not sure, but since I am a procrastinator, I am always putting off finding a new family doctor. Few months ago, I walked into the neighborhood family clinic and enquired about making an appointment. The receptionist asked me to fill out new patient’s health form with my details and reasons for my visit. The process was clearly uncomfortable for me. Receptionist told me that they selected and accepted new patients with references. She said they would contact me by phone. They never did. I have admit that I was glad not to hear from them. Just looking at the people sitting in the waiting room, it made me feel really uneasy. I was glad to depart from there very fast. I have to admit that I have my reason to have a health check up now. I do not consider it urgent.
I never felt good in front of any medical doctor and disliked going to their offices. On the other hand, I do not mind dentists, and we have a family dentist. He is the second one. Since the retirement, of the former, we were compelled to find a new one. My wife has a dental insurance from her place of employment and; therefore, she finds a time to visit him at least twice a year. I just stick to one visit per year, simply because simply I do not have insurance and the visit is usually quite expensive even for a checkup with x-ray and cleaning. Clearly, I can still compare my old dentist in eighties and early nineties, comparing prices today. Dental offices have clearly changed with many aspects, over last 20 to 30 years. Undoubtedly they have become more market and business oriented. Starting with their locations. You had to go to the second floors, above the stores to visit one. Economy priced office buildings were their preferred location and most of them were one-person office. No employees and the doctor’s name was always posted on the door and in the lobby. No advertising, no trade names, were allowed. Our old family dentist was at Ossington and Bloor Subway Station and on the second floor of an old low rise building. The dentist answered his phone calls, while in between patients. It was one-man office just with occasional administrative help from his wife. The office was simply decorated in plain white and with no fancy equipment like you can see today. The credit cards were not accepted, and dental statement was mailed for payment to the insurance company or to a patient. The payment was expected by a cheque. The office had no computer, only an electric typewriter. I can’t recall more than once, when his typed statements would go over $100, for me to pay. I firmly recall paying once just $5.00 for dental x-ray, but long ago. Cosmetic procedures like dental whitening were never mentioned anywhere. I had to ask for cleaning, and the procedure was performed by the dentist himself. Hygienists were still non-existent. Doctor sent me once to a local periodontist. All procedures were performed in a painless way, but the environment of the office and waiting room helped to increase a level of anxiety, among the patients sitting in the waiting room. There was no tv, no patient education or a friendly receptionist to talk to. Just few old magazines on the table for patients to read. The professionals were not allowed any marketing or advertising, except cards mailing at the time of opening a new office. If you needed services, you had to knock on the door, judge by name or ask for referrals from friends or relatives. When the dentist retired and closed his office, we had to look for a new one.
Now we have a new family dental office to visit. It is nothing like the old style, and his mode of operation is prevailing and representative of their profession today. First, you do not have to look for a new dentist very hard, today. Asking friends or relatives for good recommendation is also a thing of the past. The clinics and their advertising are always in your face. They occupy prime real estate, part of plazas or street levels. Some dental clinics are located on the floors of prestigious downtown office buildings, right in the financial center. No more, the nondescript back-of-plaza locations. The offices remind you more a luxury spa or hotel lobby, where you get pampered all-the way, rather than going for a painful procedure. Honestly, I never felt some pain from treatments dentist has done. It includes drilling of root canal. The only my pain always came from seeing the bills. The dental fees have skyrocketing over last 20 to 25 years to keep pace with their new image. I maintain that a main reason why people hate going to the dentists is that they can’t afford it, if they do not have insurance coverage. Fear of dental bills exceeds the fear of sitting in a dental chair. The profession has learnt how to market their services in the best light. They make the visits less stress free and focus on personal and cosmetic improvements. It is true that people are less hesitant to part with their money, when they see them as improvements in their well-being and their good looks, rather than teeth fixes. Way back, I paid about $30.00 for cleaning done by a dentist, and I had to ask for it. Today a dentist would not waste his time with such a simple procedure, but I pay more than ten times the amount. The cleanings are done by the hygienists. They are fast and efficient, and I would not want their job. But still you can notice it as a lot of money for a procedure that should be done at least twice or three times a year. I can see that they priced themselves out of market for many people with fixed incomes, no insurance coverage or people simply stretched to pay the other bills.
If, general medical profession is more rewarding than a dental one is debatable. During my recent conversation with one, a friend of mine, he confided me that he should have been a different type of doctor. In this profession, your are in financially stress-enduring position. My friend has sold his practice. Now he works for another office as an associated doctor. Apparently it is far more desirable. He has more family time, less stress and about the same money as the owner. He was caught in that dream of having several offices and having other dentists to do the work with patients. New professionals would rather become successful business owners than successful dentists. It means operating several offices in different parts of the city. It requires long driving and always worrying about marketing to generate enough of new patients for their clinics. Their fixed expenses go up with opening of new offices, but bringing new patients can be tricky business. Very few succeed, but the majority of those who started become frustrated and forced to sell their practices. New yardstick for success is measured by financial rewards from operating several offices, rather than from being the best profession-practitioner you can be.
Would there be something positive that medical and dental offices could learn from each other? Each profession is run by different sets of objectives. Dental is primarily profit oriented profession run like a business should be. It can be said that many people would rather not see them as profit oriented businesses, but more as affordable medical service. Medical clinics, family doctors or walk-in clinics are free of payment from patients. The government run OHIP insurance pays the bills, but services provided do not seem to have the same luster. Medical and non-emergency services seem to be rationed, and there is no demand for new patients to make money. On the other hand, patients are free from worrying about financial consequences, if somebody is stricken by an illness or accident. Highest dental fees are paid for optional cosmetic procedures. On the other hand, in places south of our border illnesses with no private insurance can mean some financial ruins.
Find conveniently located dentists on subway line all over Toronto; uptown, downtown, midtown or in suburbs with Internet, the search is the best!
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