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Second Opinion: Is Our Profession Being Diminished? McHenry "Mac" Lee DDS, FAGD

Is Our Profession Being Diminished?

by McHenry "Mac" Lee
DDS, FAGD



Second opinions are common in health care; whether a doctor is sorting out a difficult case or a patient is not sure what to do next. In the context of our magazine, the first opinion will always belong to the reader. This feature will allow fellow dentists to share their opinions on various topics, providing you with a "Second Opinion." Perhaps some of these dentists' observations will change your mind; while others will solidify your position. In the end, our goal is to create discussion and debate to enrich our profession.

— Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD
Dentaltown Editorial Director
 Eight years ago, Surgeon General David Satcher released the report Oral Health in America, which underscored the lack of available oral care in the United States. Since then, access to care has been a hot topic with no viable answers. Last year two children died from dental infections, the ADA lost its fight with the dental therapists in Alaska, several more states have given hygienists the freedom to practice solo and now many states are looking to school nurses for dental screening within the public school systems. Legislatures are getting more heat and are looking for answers for children who are suffering from dental disease.

It is time for our profession to answer the call. Policymakers outside of dentistry often feel we are circling the wagon, protecting our income, and not taking care of the disadvantaged by pointing to the fact there are not enough dentists who accept Medicaid. Dentistry's answer to the access to care problem has been free dental days, donated dentistry, school screenings and third-world missions, which are all wonderful things but often serve as salves and bandages over a widespread and ever growing problem.

I am proposing that the dental profession begins to rethink the way it tackles the problem of access to care. This approach begins in our schools by educating children and giving them the tools they need to live a long and full lifetime of good health. The following is a position paper we are proposing to the policymakers, educators and legislatures of my home state of Texas.

Childhood Obesity and Dental Disease
America is in bad health. This is a fact that everyone can agree with — we see it in the news, read it in the newspaper and even witness it ourselves in line at the local McDonalds waiting for our Big Macs. On average we spend more on health care than other industrialized nations and rank 42nd in terms of life expectancy. Obviously it's not the spot on the globe in which we live that is making us less healthy than those other countries. It's our lifestyle. It's what we're eating and how much (or how little) we're exercising. We know this. We see it in the family of four ordering a super-sized burger, super-sized fries and super-sized soft drink each in that fast food line. We also see it in our schools, where our children dine at the troughs of vending machines that provide a diet rich in refined carbohydrates and sugar but no fiber or nutrition.
In 2005, my home state of Texas spent $3.3 billion on costs related to obesity. We're ranked sixth in the country in the number of seriously overweight people. It is such a serious problem that our Legislature has passed bills requiring an aggressive physical exercise and nutrition program for children in our public school system. Slowly but surely, policymakers are beginning to understand that to save our children and ourselves, we must change our habits and lifestyle. It has become clear that addressing the lifestyle issue and creating a pattern of behavior that is conducive to healthy living is the simplest, easiest and most cost-effective way of helping Americans live longer, lead more productive lives and save our pocketbooks from the ever climbing costs of medical care that burdens us all.
So what does this have to do with teeth? Obviously, what we eat begins its digestive journey at the mouth. So our teeth are part of the machinery that gulp down that Big Mac and grind away at those potato chips from the vending machine. But we, as dental health professionals, know and understand that the mouth is not just a machine that simply chews food. We know that the mouth is a vital and integrated part of the biological system known as our bodies. If things go wrong in the mouth, if our teeth and gums are not healthy, it can contribute to major health problems like diabetes, heart disease and yes, even obesity. That's why any effort to educate our children about being healthier must include mandatory dental education if it is to be successful and provide the type of lifestyle changes that will really benefit the health of our nation.

Stop and think for a moment what role the mouth plays in your overall health. Diamonte Driver, the 12-year-old boy who died last year had an infected tooth. The infection, left unchecked, traveled to his brain. Death due to dental decay is rare, but not being able to chew, concentrate in class, or even attend class due to dental pain is something millions of our children are experiencing each and every day. The same issues occur with adult decay. How many of your patients know how involved the mouth is in their overall health? Now ask yourself how much of the general public understands this? If we are to give our children the resources to make them healthier and happier, they must know and understand the important role their teeth play in their overall health. Mandatory dental education must be an integral part of health education if we want to complete the circle.

"They're Just Teeth"
Isn't it interesting that dentistry and medicine are two separate entities? Dentists and physicians have done a great job in keeping the two professions separated. You know, there are the RD's — real doctors — and then there is us. Over the history of our profession, this perception has filtered down to the general public and has resulted in a mindset of "they're just teeth" and a dentist's job is merely pulling them. Insurance companies certainly feel this way. Dental policies are almost always treated as a separate type of coverage, implying that the health of the mouth is less important and not worthy of being covered under "health" insurance. It's quite ironic to me, as a dentist, that a person can go to the doctor to get a bunion removed from his foot and get it covered under his insurance policy, while that same person could not get care for dental disease under that same policy. What's more, that patient most likely does not understand that the disease in his mouth can contribute to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, low birth babies, etc. The bunion is considered a "medical" condition while dental disease is not.

This perception of the dental profession and dental care in general obviously creates a problem when trying to educate the public on the integral role the mouth plays in overall health. So what can be done to educate the public and change the perception of our profession? You start by educating young, impressionable children who are forming behavior and lifestyle patterns that will endure throughout their lives. We believe that health education in our public schools will do much to help people live better lives, but it doesn't stop with just teaching the kids to get enough exercise and eat properly. They should also be taught how to take care of their mouths. We've taken local action by pushing for mandatory dental prevention education in the public school system. Our goal is to help stop early childhood carries (ECC). We know that integrating dental health education in conjunction with nutrition and physical education will enhance the outcome of producing healthier and happier adults (and help them have beautiful smiles). As a result, we've created Operation Stop Decay, a soon to be 501.(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with the mission of encouraging local dentists, educators and civic leaders to join the effort in educating children about proper dental health and preventing ECC.

History of the Movement
Our journey into educating the public about dental health began several years ago when Joleen Jackson and I co-authored a dental consumer book called Nothin' Personal Doc, But I Hate Dentists. It is an excellent single resource for the lay public to understand all aspects of dentistry including high fear, prevention, treatment, etc. It has been well accepted in the dental community. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the proclaimed "America's Doctor" by Oprah Winfrey, found the book to be so compelling he invited me to his show on the Discovery Channel, "Oprah and Friends" on XM radio. I also contribute to his "You" series of medical books. Despite the success of the book, we felt that it was not doing enough to really change the perception and habits of the American public when it came to dental health. Then we were invited by Texas A&M University to develop age-specific, fun, exciting material for a statewide campaign on dental education to work in conjunction with their efforts at nutrition and physical education. This invitation was the spark that led to our focus on children's education.

Our efforts behind Operation Stop Decay have led us all the way to the state public school system. We are currently working with the Texas State Legislature and Texas Education Agency that we hope will result in having some form of mandatory dental education in our schools. This fall, we are conducting a pilot program in our local school system that will involve all first grade classrooms and will serve as a model for a much wider state program that will be part of the anti-obesity and physical education movement.

What Can You Do?
As we come to understand that providing dental and other health education in schools can improve the overall health of this nation, we are asking those in the profession to do what they can to reach out to their communities and provide the kind of expert leadership that can make this happen. Our organization, Dentists Who Care (www.dentistswhocare.com) serves as a resource for those who wish to be proactive and make quantitative and fundamental changes to the way we perceive health education. We offer PowerPoint presentations that are excellent teaching tools for civic organizations like Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, PTAs, religious groups, etc. We update the site regularly and keep members apprised of new events as they happen. If you are inclined to work with your state or local government as we have, we are always available to help and to share our experience.

Obviously, we've spent a lot of time, knowledge, energy, emotion and money on this project. It's been a labor of love and one of full excitement. If you want to be part of this movement, please contact me personally at maclee@ihatedentists.com or call 361-781-2134. Here's to longer health, happier lives and beautiful smiles!
Author's Bio
Dr. Mac Lee is a third-generation dentist, practicing at the Lee Dental Clinic in Edna, Texas. Lee is a 1972 graduate of Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. He is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and a member of the American Dental Association. Since 1980, he has been teaching thousands of dentists and dental teams across America, Canada and Australia on how to have a consumer friendly dental practice. He is the co-author of Nothin' Personal Doc, But I Hate Dentists! Dr. Lee can be contacted at maclee@ihatedentists.com.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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