Posted by
Travis Bonifield on Monday, July 10, 2006 5:48:19 PM
Well, just did my stint at the dentist, no cavities (woo hoo!). Ever wonder what all that money paid to the dentist (or any other doctor, for that matter) goes to? Some interesting things I noticed...
* The computers at the dentist's office, (including the one's in EACH treatment area) are far more up to date than the ones I use for my job, which is to help support and design new computer equipment...
* Used to be they'd take one or two X-rays a year, in a seperate room with a machine that scrolled around your head. Now they have multiple smaller machines, in each treatment room, and they take like 12 shots manually. This has got to cost a lot more... (and takes longer?)
* When we were all finished, they handed me a hot, moist, towel to wipe my face with, just like an international airline. When did this start?
Not that I don't like it, or think it's nicer. Heck, it's nice to wipe your face with a hot towel once in a while. But it kills me that medical and dental care is so expensive, and they're spending the money on stuff like this that I could really care less about. In fact, the one improvement they could make that would really thrill me is to get rid of that darn suction tube and let me drink water from a cup and spit in a sink like they used to when I was a kid. I hate that suction tube!
Don't get me wrong, I have no trouble with Dentists making a lot of money, they went to school for it, they earned it, 'nuff said. But why not lower prices and do away with all the frilly stuff? Yeah, I know, competition. If the dentist down the street has fancy equipment and hands you a hot towel and yours doesn't, and insurance is paying most of it anyway, where would you go? I have noticed, though, that fancy equipment a good <insert profession here> does not make.
I guess the market works against me in this regard!