Survey: General Dentists Alienated From ADA?

In our most recent survey, we asked: Is the American Dental Association dominated by specialists who are trying to promote their own agendas and not necessarily the welfare of the general dentist?

Wow - this is certainly a divisive issue!

Nearly two-thirds of our respondents said, "Yes! Specialists and their associations are using the ADA so they can make more money - at the expense of general dentists, of course." On the other hand, 38% said, "No! The ADA has not allowed special interests to compromise its service to the dental profession as a whole."

To see how polarizing this issue is, just look at the responses of general dentists as compared to specialists. General dentists were 8 times more likely to criticize the ADA than were specialists! While it's not surprising that the two groups responded differently to a question about the ADA's relationship with specialists, the difference between the two is particularly dramatic.

Many readers commented on the troubled relationship between generalists and specialists - two closely related groups of dentists who have to cooperate but also can't avoid competing. Whew! - passions run high where the ADA is concerned!

Here are just a few of the many comments we received on this hot-button issue.

• The general dentist is king!!! (New Hampshire periodontist)

Some felt we were just trying to stir up controversy:

• This question is an attempt to stir up contempt between specialists and GPs. Nice Try. (California orthodontist)


• You don't do dentistry a service by trying to split it up into factions. (New York)


• This is such a loaded question that you should be embarrassed to ask it. (Pennsylvania)


• It is a shame that you wish to hang out the dirty laundry of the dental profession with these questions. (Oregon periodontist)

Some directly questioned the value of the ADA:

• The ADA is a dinosaur. (Mississippi)


• They have actually become the enemy of the general dentist. (Missouri)


• It is controlled by the staff who have their own agenda. (Massachusetts oral surgeon)


• The ADA is taking the same approach as the AMA. Politicking and special interests (Missouri)


• What is so disturbing is the alliances with manufacturers and the conflicts of interest in research. (Nebraska)

Others defended the ADA:

• If you answer yes to this question, I'd submit you've never attended a leadership meeting of the ADA. (Virginia oral surgeon)


• This is a ridiculous notion... they are concerned with all of dentistry. (Ohio periodontist)

Some criticized (some) specialists:

• The specialists are paranoid that we general dentists are a threat... Orthodontists are the worst. (Arkansas)


• Periodontist are out of control!!!!!!!!!!! (Georgia)

Others criticized (some) general dentists:

• General dentists are generally a paranoid group of individuals who sacrifice proper patient care for fear of losing extra income. (Pennsylvania periodontist)


• Too many general dentists are offering themselves to the public with non-recognized credentials. (Alaska)


• This sounds like sour grapes from some general dentists with penis envy!! (California)

Some mourned the new sedation guidelines that have spurred this whole debate:

• Oral Conscious Sedation Dentistry... 2 million cases done, 0 Morbidity, 0 Mortality. Do they do that well with IV sedation? (Maryland)


• This whole situation with the new effort to restrict the scope and practice of GP's in regards to conscious sedation is pure dollars driven territorialism. (California)

Check out more detailed numerical results - our interactive graphs let you see breakdowns by specialty, location, gender and more!

Previous Surveys...

• Powerful Men No More Likely To Cheat?


• Dentists Prefer Barack to Hillary


• Dentists Split Over ADA


• Three Out of Four Dentists Prefer Hillary Clinton to Nancy Pelosi


• Four Out of Five Dentists Opposed to US Universal Health Care