To the Editor:
As a dental health professional of 27 years, I feel compelled to respond to Health Minister Sarah Hoffman’s veiled threats to unilaterally impose new regulations on dentists concerning fees.
Becoming a dentist is a difficult, lengthy and expensive process. Tuition fees alone are currently $20,184.44/year for the U of A DDS program, almost triple of what it is for medical doctors at $7498.56/year. Extended academic terms limit a dental student’s ability to earn income compared to other post-secondary students: the mean accrued debt for the four years of dental school alone is $106,434.00/student.
Dentists are entrepreneurs who not only provide professional services but also assume and manage the responsibility of running a small business. Being self -employed, there are no benefits or pensions and our earning potential is shortened by the seven years it takes to become a dentist. The cost of purchasing or setting up a practice is considerable and varies throughout the province, ranging from around $600,000.00 to over one million dollars. Every other business would expect a return on this investment of capital and sweat equity. Alberta dentists face higher overhead costs than in other provinces because employee salaries are more expensive in our oil driven economy and after the infamous Vegreville hospital sterilization incident, Alberta implemented some of the most stringent/expensive infection prevention and control standards anywhere.
All Alberta dentists already contribute significantly to the well-being of Albertans by providing services to patients eligible under government programs such as AISH, Alberta Works and the Child Health Benefit, at fee schedules below their overhead costs. The media has been reporting that some services in Alberta cost double of what they would in British Columbia: some services on the government schedules pay less than half of the median provincial fee. With a salary of $201,000 per year plus benefits, Ms. Hoffman is making 27 percent more than that of the minister in BC, 21 percent higher than that of the minister in Ontario and 43 percent more than in Saskatchewan.
Anyone concerned about the high cost of dental care can take ownership for their own oral health, as most dental disease is preventable through simple measures. Many of the most expensive dental treatments are the result of neglect. If you really want to put dentists out of business, eat a sensible diet, brush and floss. If you truly cannot afford dentistry, talk to your dentist
I am not sure what agenda is driving Minister Hoffman’s bus on this issue. Through the media she has hinted she could use her power under the Health Professions Act to impose new regulations on dentists. “There are a number of rather extreme measures that are available at my disposal” she said. If Ms. Hoffman does flex her government muscle to see the changes she wants, will she also be asking the insurance companies to reduce their premiums? I find it disturbing that this government would contemplate unilaterally imposing its will in this way and this should be a red flag for all private sector small business: who will be next over what? History has shown that socialism is fine until you run out of someone else’s money.
Dr. Amil Shapka
Town of St. Paul dentist
