24 IN DEPTH: PERSPECTIVES Does age matter? A patient’s perspective
in dentistry. According to research, in 2006, David Westgarth 35% of male and 18% of female dentists were Editor, BDJ In Practice over 45 years’ age, while in 2016, those fgures were 38.6% 23% respectively.2 While much of that increase can be attributed to the sizeable expansion of dental care professionals t may not be right, and it may not be alongside their expanded scope of practice, fair, but are the patients of tomorrow the age of the dental workforce is getting more likely to seek out a younger older. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic may dentist? have had an impact, forcing some into early Before we get into it, it’s worth noting the retirement, but what does this mean from the I 1 following facts, according to Age UK: dentists’ chair? Æ Tere are nearly 12 million (11,989,322) people aged 65 and above in the UK of Changing demands which: Fuelled by technology and instant demand, 5.4 million people are aged 75+ today’s customer wants – no, expects – goods 1.6 million are aged 85+ and services to be delivered right away Over 500,000 people are 90+ (579,776) without delay. Want a cofee but out of 14,430 are centenarians milk and too lazy to head to the shop? No Æ Te number of centenarians living in the problem, I’ll just order from Pret through an UK has increased 85% in the past 15 years app. Want to fnd a dentist there and then to Æ By 2030 it is anticipated there will be over book you in for a consultation? You’ve now 21,000 centenarians got the option to scroll through hundreds of Æ In 50 years there are projected to be an listings, even checking out the team, before additional 8.6 million people aged 65 years booking. media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and over – a population roughly equivalent And then there’s Instagram, a growing LinkedIn – and a mixture of personal and to the size of London phenomenon in the customer-dentist-patient professional accounts. If, as a patient, I want Æ By 2030, one in fve people in the UK axis. You can now slide into their DMs, have to fnd a dentist, I’m heading to Instagram (21.8%) will be aged 65 or over, 6.8% will be a quick chat – more ofen than not about a frst, then following up with Facebook to fnd aged 75+ and 3.2% will be aged 85+ cosmetic procedure they’ve seen on their contact details, and fnally to Twitter (only to Æ Te 85+ age group is the fastest growing profle – and boom, consultation booked. fnd #dentistswithherons). and is set to double to 3.2 million by mid- Happy days. It’s not as prevalent on Facebook It wasn’t always the case you could do 2041 and treble by 2066 (5.1 million; 7% of and Twitter – though probably still exists – that – in efect choose your own dentist. the UK population). and this is a problem. In efect it excludes You could choose a dental practice, but the dentists of a certain age who don’t/won’t/can’t way the workforce has changed has given In short, as a nation we’re getting older, use social media. us patients far more choice. Does it mean and there aren’t any signs of it slowing down As a patient in the 35-44 survey group, I that – where given the choice – patients will sooner. Tat trend is refected ever so slightly sit in with those who have the most social choose someone at the beginning of their
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the former be viewed that dentist down the road with the machine as ahead of the curve, that goes ping might impress you with the who knows what they speed of their work and the wonderful array of are doing and can technology, there’s no substitute for experience produce your results and someone who knows what they’re doing, quickly, the latter is and I’ve done this procedure more times in likely to be viewed my sleep they have in dental school. Just a as old, outdated and thought’. It isn’t going to happen, so I’m more somehow less able to likely to retain the dentist I’ve hand-picked. do their job. Again, whether that’s fair or otherwise, it’s a reality. One theory I postulate for patients An unfair overlooking experience is recognition. assessment? ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ doesn’t sound Whether that’s a as good as ‘Dentist of the Year’ for a 21-year- fair assessment old patient looking to invest thousands in or not, consumer Invisalign, for example. In the profession tendency suggests as we stand today, awards are given out as that is a likely course frequently and haphazardly as the COVID-19 of action. Yet, even vaccine is. For the recipients, they’re tools to prior to COVID-19 attract patients, to diferentiate themselves dominating every from the competition. For patients, they’re a facet of our lives, comparison tool – they must be better than there were murmurs an older counterpart because they have a ‘Best that – partly to do Dentist 2017: North-East sub section’ banner with the overall on their website or profle. And, because many improvement in the awards are nominated by peers, you have to nation’s oral health question whether homophily – the tendency – dental students for people to seek out or be attracted to those felt somewhat who are similar to themselves – plays a role. underprepared for If I feel one of my peers is awesome, of course the real world of I’m going to nominate them. If I feel my boss dentistry that awaited with 30 years’ experience who’s seen it all is them. Could all of awesome, am I as likely to nominate them? the fancy technology Possibly not, and so unintentionally works that attracts patients against that older individual when it comes to in the frst place be patients choosing a dentist. making life more And so, as I sit on my sofa looking for complex for younger a dentist to give me a smile makeover, the dentists? Gone are sub-conscious is likely to overlook the the days when a experienced, seen-it-all practitioner for one dentist could do that provides an ‘award-winning’ be all and 50 crowns in their end all service, a move that sits in the dark sleep. Young dentists corners of choice vs unconscious bias. It may © Nick Dolding/Stone/Getty Images Plus that have only done not be fair, and it may not be right, but if one crown and one consumer-driven demand continues to drive career because they assume their competency molar endo are not as uncommon as you the profession, you have to fear for the older is greater than an older colleague? Tere’s may believe. Tere are some universities section of the workforce. ◆ an argument that could be put forward our that are not teaching their students how to unconscious bias kicks in, and ageism too. take manual impressions as it is now being References What has also changed rapidly is done digitally to embrace the wider digital 1. Age UK. Later Life in the United Kingdom technology the profession uses. Take the movement. Some view this as wise – dentistry 2019. Available online at: www.ageuk.org. uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports- product adoption curve, for example. A should prepare students for what they’ll be and-publications/later_life_uk_factsheet.pdf practitioner that has a 3D intra-oral scanner, working with – and some see it as chronically (Accessed February 2021). a 3D printer and a machine that goes ‘ping’ under-preparing them for the realities of the 2. Holmes R D, Burford B and Vance G. Development and retention of the dental will be viewed entirely diferently to those practise of dentistry. workforce: fndings from a regional workforce who are more experienced, slightly more risk Besides word of mouth, an established and survey and symposium in England. BMC Health averse and continually discuss with peers how trusting patient base, how are practitioners Serv Res 2020; 20: 255. things were very diferent (ofen better) when supposed to get this message across to they were younger. Not only as a patient will patients like me? ‘Hey Mr Westgarth. While https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-021-0689-4
BDJ IN PRACTICE | VOL 34 | ISSUE 3