Take a look at downtown Austin and surrounding areas and you definitely notice that the skyline is very different than it was just a few years ago and the tallest projects have yet to come. Mature pecan and oak trees are being bulldozed in the name of progress in already dense areas. Well-known Austin green spaces are in danger of development. Gasoline is over $4.00 a gallon. The mortgage crisis affects all Americans. Legislation that affects the way we practice is possible at the State as well as the Federal level.

 

It is not my intent to spew doom and gloom here but to emphasize how important communication is. As your editor, it is my responsibility to keep you informed about current issues in dentistry.

 

You may wonder why I mention the loss of mature trees and the price of gas. This is because it was not long ago that most would have thought someone was crazy if they said that gas would cost over $4.00 a gallon and that the destruction of trees in the Austin city limits was possible for development. I have written articles about the threat of Universal Healthcare without much response in the past, but if you look at the rate and nature of change, you must admit that anything is possible. Again, I urge you to keep informed and communicate your opinions.

 

If you have any concerns about where our profession is headed, please let your TDA Delegates know how you feel. E-mail or call me and I will pass the information along to our CADS Officers, TDA, or wherever necessary to let your voices be heard. You can also express your views in the forum section of the CADS website, www.capitalareadental.org.

 

Dr. Radwanski wrote in the last STAR about “Best Dentists in Austin” and I received several responses. We are now communicating! The following is Dr. Wellick’s response to Dr. Radwanski’s President’s Message.

 

 

 

President Radwanski,

            I am writing in response to your article in the July Capital Star. I too read the article ‘Austin’s Best Dentists’. My first thoughts upon seeing this were: According to whom? How did they determine the dentists they selected?

            I agree with your point of view that the ranking of health professionals should be left out of the media. The methods used are supposed to help sell the magazine or periodical.  There is no way to rank the best dentists from a survey of people because most people see the same dentist year after year and have no way to compare other dentists. A survey of other dentists or specialists would just be a ranking of popularity or a listing of dentists they work closely with. Austin is blessed with many “BEST” dentists and to pick out a few is a discredit to all the other hard working dentists in the area.

            I Googled, Austin’s Best Dentists, and got many hits. One of these was a website named, bestdentistinaustin.com. This website is going to list 20 dentists in Austin and offer them the “opportunity” to be exclusively featured on the website. Sounds like advertising to me. So, if someone searches for Austin’s Best Dentist, this website will pop up and you will see the Top 20 (who paid to be) Best Dentists in Austin. Another site was citysearch.com. You can also find dentists on this website who are featured sponsors. Again, this is another form of advertising. Just for the fun of it I looked up my name and saw that I had a rating of 3 ½ stars. I wondered how I achieved this rating and clicked on the Reviews tab. There were no reviews for me but I still had a rating of 3 ½ stars. Interesting!! I guess everyone gets 3 ½ stars but if you pay to be a featured sponsor you get more stars. Is this supposed to make you a better dentist? I sure hope not.

            If the media wants to publicize a dentist then they should make it a human-interest story and focus on something unusual or outstanding this particular doctor has done with his or her life or practice. Don’t use us as a way to sell your products!

 

Sincerely,

 

Tim Wellik, DDS

timwellikdds@austin.rr.com