Joe Steven, Jr., DDS
Wichita, Kan.
In defense of Dental Economics, I would like to explain the way the Great White Hype debate began. It was a debate that has caused considerable controversy. If you read the "Letters to the Editor" last month, you`ll probably agree that DE took a lot of heat for running the three-part monthly debate about amalgams with Dr. Bill Dickerson and me. They called it unprofessional, embarrassing, the Great Debate Debacle, etc. And to top it off, DE asked for readers to send in their polling cards to find out who the majority of dentists agreed with. They couldn`t believe DE would run a series like that.
Obviously, I`m biased here, but I think discussions of this sort (possibly toned down a bit) are exactly what our profession needs in regard to many areas in dentistry. The organization of these discussions could be arranged better than the Great White Hype forum, but Dental Economics was not responsible for how the format of this discussion took place.
In November of 1998, I wrote an article in the KISCO Perspective newsletter titled, "The Great White Hype." There were two main points behind that article: (1) It is not good for our profession to put down dentists who do amalgams, and (2) Posterior composite restorations may not be the best treatment for all patients, and that amalgam has its place in a general dental practice.
I only mentioned Dr. Bill Dickerson`s name in the intro of the article as part of a joke about the Wichita Institute for Amalgam Restorations. Other than that, I was not directing my comments to any single lecturer. I was directing them toward many of the lecturers who persistently tell their audiences to quit doing black fillings, yada, yada, yada! Shortly after that article was published, I received a fax from Dr. Dickerson rebutting all 15 of my perspectives about amalgam and cosmetic restorations. Both articles were submitted to DE, and the idea was conceived to run them side-by-side, etc.
So, it really wasn`t set up to be a true debate. But still, I think it has been good for all dentists to look at our treatment modalities a little closer and not be too anxious to follow many of our leaders in abandoning a time-tested, valuable service that still has its place in dentistry. My comments about Dr. Dickerson`s rebuttal are too lengthy to run here. If you would like a copy, mail a SASE to KISCO, 232 N. Seneca, Wichita, Kan. 67302, or get it from our Web site: kiscodental.com.
Keep up the good work, Dental Economics ... and, yes, you, too, Bill!
