Written by: Alan Stern, DDS
The Allure of Outrage
Dr. Dana Ackley, an emotional intelligence expert and one of my most insightful coaches during my clinical years, recently wrote a compelling piece titled The Allure of Outrage.
In it, he highlights how public figures—particularly politicians—exploit our emotions, using outrage as a currency to gain power or wealth. Their tactics divide us, pitting friend against friend, colleague against colleague. Sadly, dentistry is not immune to this manipulation. The gain for the outrage entrepreneur is huge. The loss to the rest of us is equally huge.
A Divided House?
A recent video by Derek Sven, the newly elected president of the Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association, adds fuel to this fire. In his call to action, he accuses organized dentistry of actively trying to destroy the hygiene profession, declaring that it’s time to fight back. The emotional tone is unmistakable: rage, resentment, and a desire to break away and form independent hygiene practices.
I understand where this anger comes from.
Pain Points and Past Wrongs
For far too long, many dental hygienists have felt—and been—undervalued, underpaid, and mischaracterized. They are highly educated health professionals, yet their work is often referred to as “just a cleaning,” and they are sometimes lumped into outdated roles as “one of the girls.” When COVID hit, some dentists refused to provide adequate PPE, leaving hygienists feeling vulnerable and betrayed. These injustices are real and deserve to be acknowledged.
But Rage Is a Dangerous Compass
Dentists, too, have faced immense challenges. Reimbursements are shrinking. Third-party payers and corporate entities have hijacked our language, reducing us from practitioners to providers—a subtle but powerful shift that dehumanizes our work and commodifies our care. Many of us have quietly accepted declining standards, shorter appointment times, and demands for profits over purpose. Some hygienists have entered into this model too, agreeing to unsustainable salaries or abbreviated appointments that compromise patient care, practitioner fatigue, and burnout. We all lose in this race to the bottom.
The Real Enemy Isn’t Each Other
The real enemy is the system that reduces health professionals to production units and patients to transactions.
We need to stop escalating the fight and start elevating the profession—together. Instead of warring over independence, let’s fight for interdependence rooted in mutual respect. Let’s demand a healthcare system that allows all oral health professionals—dentists, hygienists, assistants, administrators—to practice at the top of their game, with integrity and purpose.
Access to Care = Access to Complete Care
Mr. Sven’s plea for increased access to care in rural and underserved areas is a worthy one—but that goal is best achieved through collaboration, not fragmentation. True access to care means access to complete care—diagnosis, prevention, treatment—not just hygiene services alone.
Independent models that isolate care risk further disconnection and confusion for patients. But when we work together, aligned by mission and mutual respect, we can deliver comprehensive, coordinated care that truly meets the needs of those we serve.
Let’s Learn—Not Lash Out
Let’s use the missteps of our collective pasts—not as weapons against one another—but as lessons for the greater good. Our patients should never become pawns in a power struggle. When we fight one another, we all lose—and our profession weakens.
It’s Time to Realign
We can—and must—repair the bonds that have frayed.
Let’s realign around our original purpose: caring for human beings. When we do that with clarity, unity, and heart, financial sustainability will follow. But more importantly, so will professional fulfillment.
Let’s Rise Together
Let’s resist the outrage and listen generously to each other.
Let’s stand for each other.
Let’s rise together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Stern, DDS, retired from clinical dentistry in 2023 and now operates Better, Richer, Stronger, LLC. He is a dental practice coach, keynote speaker, and author.
His book, Enjoy the Ride, is available on Amazon.
Join his Facebook group, strangely called Better, Richer, Stronger.
He can be reached at alan@betterricherstronger.com.
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Bfk/Shutterstock.com.
