Prominent US academic calls for professional rethink

Bruce S. Graham, DDS, FACD, Dean of the College of Dentistry at University of Illinois at Chicago, believes that the business side of dentistry is "endangering the integrity of the profession and demeaning dentistry in the eyes of the public".

Prof. Graham presented the Convocation Address to the American College of Dentists (30 September, 2004, Orlando Florida), which challenged Fellows of the College and members of the dental profession generally, to reassess the extent to which business interests have compromised professional motivations and behaviours in dentistry.

The address was entitled "Is Dentistry a Business or a Profession?", and is reproduced in the October 2005 edition of the Canadian Journal, Oral Health and Dental Practice Management.