Interview: Increased commercialism and overtreatment in dentistry
January 15, 2021 |
Interviews
Overtreatment, as the word suggests, is excessive or unnecessary care provided to patients for a variety of reasons, such as malpractice, pressure from management or financial gain. In a recent interview, Dental Tribune International had the opportunity to discuss the topic with Dr Alexander C. L. Holden, a specialist in public health dentistry and a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney. Holden co-authored a study that explored overtreatment in Australian private dentistry. He found that some dental professionals are no strangers to commercialism and that the pursuit of profit often prompted them to provide more dental treatments than were necessary.