When Science Becomes Art——My View on How Honest Are Dentist by William Ecenbarger

It is known that medicine belongs to the field of natural science. Despite this, the American Dental Association says dentistry is an art, and what’s most important to all of the dentists is that they each used their professional judgment to design what they believe is the solution for the patient. Thus, it is no surprise that the ADA has developed a set of treatment parameters that are nonbinding. For the patient, however, who needs to protect themselves from overtreatment and overcharging, this is a ridiculous system. Unfortunately, it makes more sense to think of dentistry as an art rather than a science, and patients shouldn’t expect scientific diagnosis and treatment.

The author William Ecenbarger, a pretty amazing person, visited 50 dentists with a distance of 50,000 miles in 4 months to reveal this truth. He proved that dentistry in America is quite a mixed bag that lacks industry standards and professional ethics. We also have reason to suspect deeply the honesty of the ADA. Since Americans spend about $42 billion a year on their teeth, it might be in the interests of both dentists and the ADA to bind together. There is no doubt that financial interests can distort people's moral concepts and value judgments.

I really respect the author. I hope his investigation will cause more concern from all parties in the society so that this orderless situation of dentistry in America will be changed at last.