While many in the dental industry see factors such as the staffing shortage, rising operational costs and diminishing autonomy as the biggest threats to dentistry, one dentist has a different take.
Robert Baskies, DMD, a dentist in Phillipsburg, N.J., told Becker’s that the high cost of dental school tuition is leading new dentists to lose their independence because they are saddled with debt and student loans from school.
Editor’s note: This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Do you see consolidation as a threat or an opportunity for dental independence?
Dr. Robert Baskies: There is no threat from consolidation. The threat is from dental schools charging an exorbitant fee for dental school tuition. I graduated from dental school in 1978 with a debt of $13,000, or the equivalent of $64,000 in 2025. I worked as a nurse’s aide in the summer, and that paid for my dental school tuition. If the average tuition is $70,000/year, what can a student do to make enough money legally to pay for tuition? When I opened my office, three dental supply companies took me to dinner to help me establish my practice. One company designed it, built it and equipped it with no money down. They even arranged the loan. This does not happen anymore. Dental independence is a fantasy today. This new generation of dentists will be the equivalent of pharmacists for the chain drug stores within the next ten years.
