The history of the public's perception of dentistry may be viewed as consisting of three waves. I like to describe the first wave with the term "Feel Well Dentistry." During this wave, dentists were perceived as first and foremost who to call to get you out of tooth pain.
The next wave, spearheaded largely by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), is "Look Well Dentistry,” where the public began to perceive the dentist as able to improve one’s appearance, as well as alleviate pain.
The third, latest, wave is "Be Well Dentistry,” that is, a commitment to overall health and wellness, which entails eliminating the false distinction between oral and systemic health that persists in the minds of the public, as well as many dental and medical professionals. When all people come to rightly view the dentist as an oral physician, offering the ability to diagnose, treat and prevent systemic illnesses, collaborative care is fostered, and “Be Well Dentistry” is born.
It is not a question of whether, but when this becomes reality. In fact, the general public has already begun to move in this direction, as evidenced by television programs like Dr. Oz featuring such topics as Can good oral health save your life?
Let’s get organized?
In October of 2010 an organization was founded in Madison, Wisconsin by Dr. Chris Kammer, whose father Jack founded the AACD in that same city and which has, since 1984 grown to be an internationally recognized organization of over 7,000 Members. It is the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH), and it promises to do even more for “Be Well Dentistry” than the AACD is doing for “Look Well Dentistry.”
As its Mission on their website reveals AAOSH is:
…a network of dedicated health care leaders working to change professional ?and public behaviors, and address the importance of oral health as it relates ?to whole body health…AAOSH will bridge the gaps among all health care pro-?fessionals through unprecedented cooperation across all disciplines…based ?on sound research principles. We are passionate about elevating the quality ?of health care, and will work to communicate the mouth-body health link, ?so people worldwide can live healthier, longer and happier lives.
The formation of this organization could not have come at a better time. Research continues to unequivocally demonstrate connections between the health of the mouth and that of the body, as do plain old common sense.
