Why Small-Town Dentists Are a Community Treasure

Updated on November 19, 2019

Stroudsburg is a borough located in Monroe County, northeastern Pennsylvania. Although the population is only a little more than 5,000, the neighborhood is steeped in history, which you can see on the streets, buildings, and homes. It’s considered the gateway to the Poconos Mountains, which features more than 120 species of trees and foliage and they tint the sky with bright colors during the spring and fall. 

Residents converge in downtown Stroudsburg, which has a population density of more than 3,000 people per square mile. But it retains its small-town feel. They do not have to search online for “dentist Stroudsburg PA,” to find a nearby dentist as everybody knows everybody. 

The right dentist is difficult to find in rural America. You spend money to earn a degree, so naturally, you want to recoup your investments. One of the easiest ways is to practice in a bigger town, so you get more customers.

Constant Struggle 

According to this report from the Los Angeles Times, small towns are struggling to find homegrown dentists in their area. They have to drive to the neighboring city to get quality service. And because dentists are scarce, you can bet that the queue would become extended. You need to make an appointment before you get accommodated. It can be troublesome when you’re experiencing a dental emergency.

Meanwhile, a report from NPR.org showed that most states do not have enough dentists to provide adequate service to the residents. The problem is if you have Medicaid, it means you get to the back of the line because rural dentists would prioritize cash over private insurance. Sometimes, dental practices do not accept Medicaid at all. 

That is why small-town dentists should be considered a community treasure. For instance, 

a dentist in Stroudsburg PA would be well-entrenched in his neighborhood. They know the dental history of generations upon generations. More often than not, they know the habits of your parents, oral hygiene routines, and how they pass on these habits to their children. They can make early intervention based on this knowledge.

Part of the Family

With small-town dentists, their patients rarely question their diagnosis and recommendations. When they ask you to do something, you will do it even if you do not like the task. The dentists are held in high esteem in the community. Everybody respects their opinion. 

Another advantage is that you can ask for their professional opinion even outside of the clinical setting. You may bump them on the grocery store, open your mouth to show the problem, and get free advice. Of course, you may need to visit the clinic soon for a more comprehensive check-up. 

The best thing about small-town dentists is that they have a stake in the neighborhood. They also call it their home and consider their patients as part of the family. It’s different for a dentist with a great practice in a major city where the money is one of the primary motivations. The money is good, but rural dentists in Stroudsburg would be more interested in your well-being and welfare. And they care about their reputation in the community more than anything else.

+ posts

Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.