Why Does Dentistry and Your Dentist Cost So Much?

I ran across this piece and it is a pretty good summary.

Two dentists, Dr. M. in upstate New York and Dr. W. near Indianapolis, agreed to be interviewed. They spoke to me at length about why fees are what they are. Here’s what I learned about why dental work is so expensive.

• Dental care is not a commodity
• Overhead costs are huge
• Labs differ in the quality of the products they produce
• Dental Insurance isn’t really insurance
• Dental insurance drives docs nuts and they wish they didn’t have to use it
• Dentists wish patients would value their teeth more

And, I would add a few more:

• Dentistry remains a private cottage industry
• Dentists have not organized nor practice in an economically efficient practice model

What do you think?

Are dentists just greedy, used car salesmen?

Or, just subject to the general market forces of every small business owner?