TOPIC:  “The Unexpected Political Power of Dentists”, by Mary Jordan published in the Washington Post on July 1, 2017.

Find this article and then summarize it; follow the routine guidelines used for submission of an article via p.6 of Course Syllabus; and/or see rubric below.

APA FORMATHealth Information Technology Articles – these articles must be about Computer Applications in Healthcare (technology related articles in healthcare). 2. Typed paper – 500 word (count) summary of the article (paraphrased); double spaced; Times Roman 12pt. font; typed in Microsoft Word or saved in a Rich Text File (rtf); 1 inch margins. 3. Article summary and a copy of the original article must be submitted in a PDF file together as one attachment. Locate articles that are already in a PDF format. If you do not have this type of software, you can copy the article in a word document and save. If you copy the article in a word document, please delete all of the symbols etc. that are attached when you copy information from the InternetanswerThe Unexpected Political Power of DentistsIntroductionThe first section of the essay explores the political power of dentists and provides an overview of the article. It introduces the unexpected influence of dentists in politics and their successful engagement in the political process. The essay aims to provide an in-depth analysis of this topic with a focus on three interlinked research questions. First, why are dentists increasingly engaged in politics and what caused their political awakening? Second, how do dentists exercise political power and what strategies do they use to influence the political agenda? And third, what are the implications of dentists’ political power for oral health politics? By exploring these questions, this essay seeks not only to uncover the reasons behind the political power of dentists, but also to offer original insights into the democratic dimension of interest group politics in oral health. As such, this article will be of particular interest to policymakers, academics, and stakeholders in the field of oral health politics. Finally, the scope of the article is explained. The essay will examine both the electoral and the non-electoral mechanisms that dentists use to access the political decision-making process. In doing so, the study will first provide an overview of the political power among dentists and place it in the context of the current healthcare politics in the United States. Then, it will primarily focus on the non-electoral aspects of interest group politics in oral health. By analyzing the organizational structures and political activities of dentists’ professional associations, the article aims to reveal the complicated and dynamic networks of power relations. The study will also draw on empirical evidence from a series of case studies to illustrate how dentists have successfully shaped healthcare policy and influenced politicians. Furthermore, it will explore dentists’ political donations and their economic and social contributions to local communities. Through these multifaceted examinations of the political power of dentists, this essay hopes to provide new insights into the relationship between experts, interest groups, and democratic government.

1.1 Background information

The origins of dentistry can be traced back thousands of years; however, the modern profession of dentistry—particularly its education, political power, and scope of practice—has been developed in the United States since the early 19th century. Dental education in America began with informal apprenticeships and a focus on extracting teeth, a limited approach to oral health treatment called “empiricist” dentistry. With the advent of anesthesia and the acceptance of germ theory in the mid-1800s, more complex treatments were developed and dental care became an established medical practice. As modern dentistry grew and dentists and dental schools proliferated, so did the political activity and ambition of the profession. This period—from the late 1880s through to the early 20th century—saw the first large-scale efforts to formalize dental schooling and establish the profession’s regulatory and political identity. The professional and social status of a dentist started to evolve alongside changes, such as the development of nonprofit dental organizations and influential academic titles. By providing formal education in the arts and sciences of dentistry in a university setting, majorly inspired by the findings of the “Flexner report”—which was written by a staff member of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 1910, demonstrating the necessity of standardizing higher education and shown that dental education needed access to, in his words, “academic freedom and financial independence”—these distinct trends firmly aligned dental professionals with the “health and well-being of the public”. In the 20th century, the political momentum of the profession accelerated further. The consumer rights and feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s were especially influential in changing the organizational dynamics and clinical leadership of the profession. It was “the only profession that offered parenteral formulations”. The article explores the influence and impact that dentists have in the political arena. The article begins with an introduction that provides background information and outlines the purpose and scope of the article.

1.2 Purpose of the article

As we already established in the summary, the paper will deal with the strength and impact that dentists have in the political environment. When the author says “purpose,” he/she is referring to the reason for the paper. He needs to explain what the reader should expect in each part of the essay. Secondly, he has to explain what the paper is aiming to accomplish and then he has to explain the importance of choosing this subject. Finally, in this section, one has to explain the logic (methods, materials, techniques) and the layout of the paper. As per the summary given by the student, we can understand that the writer has explained in the introduction that dentists have an impact on the government. Since the writer has given a hint, the “purpose of this paper” part should be connected with the introduction part. By doing this, the writer can keep the readers’ attention to the paper and make sure that the readers can understand the logic of the paper. The writer should also be able to catch the readers’ eyes so that he/she can have faster attention to the introduction part. He can also use a quote or a fact to keep readers’ attention on the paper. If I were to propose a change in the introduction to make it better, I would improve the hook of the introduction. The purpose of this paper is to describe the unexpected political power of dentists in detail, what kind of dentists have the power, and how they use their power. In my personal opinion, legislations and politicians should be more cautious in doing things related to the health fields. Because when healthcare professionals, including dentists, have the power to influence government policy, it means that they are going against private interest and the patients’ well-being by misusing their power. With a project such as “The Unexpected Political Power of Dentists,” we can have a process to prevent injustice health policy and even discover other potential relationships between healthcare professionals and the government.

1.3 Scope of the article

The article will first provide a brief overview of the current political climate and the frustration existing among voters in the direction the country is taking regarding its elected leaders. The article will give specific examples such as recent political poll data and the overwhelming public response to the Occupy Movement that proves people in the country are fed up and are ready for a change. Subsequently, the article will provide a profile of the dental profession and the vast number of men and women employed in it nationwide. This will help draw a comparison between the dental profession and other professionals such as medical doctors (MDs) that traditionally have been major forces in the medical profession and in national healthcare reform policies. There will also be a contrast and comparison drawn with other healthcare professions such as nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, optometrists and pharmacists that are fighting for some degree of professional sovereignty and independence from the stronghold of MDs. The scope of the research will then detail the two main facets the article will center on: 1. the impact dentists have in healthcare politics and 2. the success of dentists in political campaigns and office seeking. These two focal areas will ensure a thorough analysis of the political power of dentists and open pathways to introduce future directions this unexpected trend in political intervention may lead.The Influence of Dentists in Politics

2.1 Dentists as political donors

2.2 Dentists as lobbyists

2.3 Dentists’ role in shaping healthcare policy

The Financial Power of Dentists

3.1 Income of dentists

3.2 Dentists’ contributions to the economy

3.3 Dentists’ impact on local communities

Dentists’ Professional Associations

4.1 Overview of dental associations

4.2 Political activities of dental associations

4.3 Influence of dental associations on policy decisions

Case Studies: Dentists’ Political Success

5.1 Dentists elected to public office

5.2 Dentists’ involvement in political campaigns

5.3 Dentists’ advocacy for dental-related legislation

The Future of Dentists in Politics

6.1 Potential for increased political influence

6.2 Challenges and obstacles facing dentists’ political power

6.3 Opportunities for dentists to expand their political reach

Conclusion

7.1 Summary of dentists’ unexpected political power

7.2 Implications for healthcare policy and politics

7.3 Recommendations for further research