Saturday 14 March 2015

Retiring Baby Boomer Dentists - Less Dentists, More Patients


The baby boomer generation were a massive group of people seeking professional jobs. They created an influx in many businesses including dentistry. Many of them went to medical school and entered the dentistry field. This changed the way people found dentists because of the amount of new practices opening. The dentistry world became competitive through advertising and discounted offers on dental care.


In addition, the number of clinics that were opening up increased, which gave local community members options when it came to finding a dentist. The rise of the baby boom population gave dental hygiene a boost and forced insurance companies to take notice and offer care. However, the baby boom generation is coming close to retirement age and there aren't enough new dentists to replace the baby boomers. The number of people who graduate from dentistry schools decline every year.

In a few years when all of the baby boom generation is collecting social security, more and more dentist offices will be closing. This will cause an influx in some offices where clients have limited choices on where to go. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean the best care is going to be a choice when it comes to finding a dentist. A main criterion for choosing a dentist will be based on location. Without competition from other local dentists, the price of dental care could skyrocket. A dentist with no one else to worry about could start charging any price they want because there is no one to tell him that he can't.

 If you think this is the old problem that is the result of the baby boomer generation getting older, you're wrong. Dentists' offices are going to be inundated with patients. However, the baby boomer generation has an ever bigger effect on the dentistry market. They are clients as well. As they get older, their needs are going to change. The baby boomer generation has different problems. They are going to go from needing cleanings and basic dentistry to more severe problems that inflict many older people such as gum disease, dentures and other dental problems.

 The truth is that half of the people that visits a doctor's office are over the age of 45. This means that the older generation care as much about their health as anyone else. They are going taking a huge percentage of the dentist's time and create a massive demand in the market. But more dentists aren't going to pop up because of the lack of students interested in the field. As people get older, their teeth tend to fall out. This is due to a number of issues such as lack of care or improper hygiene. However, the root also gets weaker for a number of reasons. Medications can cause the root to weaken because of the decrease of the flow of saliva in one's mouth. Different medications can cause these problems.

Speak to your doctor or dentist about any side effects the medications can cause. Missing teeth can either be replaced individually or a person can opt for dentures. Either way it's a costly and timely procedure. Baby boomers are going to need these procedures done. If there aren't enough dentists, an office could become extremely busy to the point where it will take weeks, if not months, to get an appointment. The baby boomer dentists are creating a double fold problem. However, it's not their fault. By retiring from their dentistry positions, they are creating less and less offices because there are fewer people in dental school. Even as they get older, they are going to need care as well as causing a demand for dentists. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1657155

0 comments:

Post a Comment