Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Sovereignty helps
Why we desperately need more decentralizing:
In a move opposed by the Washington State Dental Association, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community on Monday began offering the services of a dental therapist to its members. Dental therapists are the dental version of physician assistants. They are licensed and can perform simple procedures such as cleanings, filling cavities and simple extractions. Dental therapists are much cheaper to train and employ than dentists. But the dental association has fought for years to prevent dental assistants from working in this state.Tribes have enough sovereignty to get around some of the usual protection rackets. Must admit I'd never heard of dental therapists. "Cleanings, filling cavities and simple extractions" .... isn't that everything a Dentist does? Complicated extractions are typically referred to Oral Surgeons in a full hospital environment. So what's the difference, aside from years of education? Dentistry is extremely hard work, but not especially smart work. Talent and experience are vastly more important than education. ¶ 4:00 AM
