For many years, there has been considerable debate and discussion over the regulation of dental licenses in the United States. The premise for these debates has been a collection of very interesting and academic points concerning the real need for regulation of dental licenses between different states. But the inability for us to handle this question as a profession has touched me personally.
States historically felt an honest obligation to protect their citizens from subpar schools graduating inadequately trained dentists. But the reality of the profession today is that schools across the country offer an excellent dental education and graduate well-trained dental professionals. Dental schools successfully graduate dentists with knowledge and a heart to treat patients well. I believe that our profession should be complimented for dealing successfully with these very important issues.
Twenty-five years ago when I was deciding on a career direction after graduating from college, I had a long talk with my uncle who was a practicing dentist in Florida. His love for his patients and profession encouraged me to attend dental school. A few years ago, severe health problems struck both my aunt and uncle, and their painful journey dealing with terminal cancer began.
During their emotional time of treatment and care, my uncle struggled to maintain his dental practice. His weeks were first reduced in hours and then in number of days. As expected, dental friends offered to help in any way possible.
While having a very busy dental practice in Maine, I offered to juggle my work schedule and family to help my uncle with his patient care until he recovered from his illness or sold the practice.
I offered to fly to Florida and work in his office for three days every two weeks. I discussed the situation with my state dental society and was only offered encouragement and support for my plan. I was told that the Florida State Board would be my main barrier to obtaining a temporary license without first taking their dental boards.
When I contacted the Florida board, I was told that I could not obtain a temporary license to practice dentistry or perform any hygiene duties in the state of Florida. I was more than willing to take their exam but knew that by the time the next test was offered, the help that I could have provided while my aunt and uncle received chemotherapy and radiation care would have passed. Gradually, they both lost their battles with cancer. Shortly after my aunt died, my uncle also passed away.
It seems ironic and sad that I was not able to share a few months of dentistry with my uncle. Temporary assistance certainly could have provided him with a little less stress during his final months of life. We need to keep our dental standards high in order to provide excellent patient care and oral health. But I also honestly believe that excellent dentistry is not determined by the geography of state boundaries. The protocols for good patient care are similar from the East Coast to the West Coast of the United States.
I was very fortunate to have had a friend and an uncle as a dental colleague. He was always willing to offer his talents, his heart and a helping hand to his patients. Our profession should have been able to offer him the same.
