By Dean Rotbart, Director
TEAM 1500

The 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama went to ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, the popular medical series that follows an ensemble cast of surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital.

Big Surprise!

Grey’s Anatomy is only the latest in a long lineage of immensely popular medical dramas – ER, St. Elsewhere, Gideon’s Crossing, Chicago Hope, Marcus Welby, Ben Casey, etc. – dating back to 1961 and the launch of Dr. Kildare starring Richard Chamberlain (Photo).

There can be no question, Americans love to elevate their medical doctors into cultural icons.

TV shows about crack teams of dentists are harder to recollect.

Perhaps there has been a drama or situation comedy focused specifically on a dentist and his or her caring practice. If so, I can’t recall it.

I do remember actor Peter Bonerz portraying Dr. Jerry Robinson (1972-1976) on The Bob Newhart Show – better known for his womanizing than his periodontal skills -- as well as actor Jerry Paris as the amiable, somewhat bumbling neighbor/dentist Jerry Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1962-1966.)

On an episode of the Brady Bunch, Marcia has a teenage infatuation with Dr. Vogel, her new dentist.

Not exactly great star turns for dental characters, but at least those TV dentists were benign.

On this season’s Desperate Housewives, Wisteria Lane denizen Bree Van De Kamp takes up with Orson Hodge, who one reviewer describes as a “psycho probable-murder dentist.” If it’s any consolation, Kyle MacLachlan, the actor who plays the psycho dentist, has soap-opera “hunk” good looks.

Perhaps the best-known theatrical dentist is Dr. Orin Scrivello, he of Little Shop of Horrors fame. “I thrill when I drill a bicuspid,” croons Steve Martin.

Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey he is not.

I can’t account for Hollywood or TV Land’s lack of generosity – or even fairness -- when it comes to the good deeds of America’s dentist, nor the writers’ and producers’ failure to see the quiet heroism of so many dental practitioners.

The many, many dentists who I have been privileged to know and work alongside do embody characteristics that should make them iconic: dedication to public service; healers and restorers; individualists; entrepreneurs and community activists.

Indeed, thanks to supporters of TEAM 1500 and its mission, testimonials are pouring into my office from patients who’ve been treated using oral sedation dentistry and feel it was a life-changing enrichment. To them, dentists are heroes.

Our plan is to share these endorsements with the American Dental Association and state dental boards as a reminder of exactly who stands to lose the most if the ADA chokes off access to oral conscious sedation: patients, not dentists.

Perhaps, we would also be well advised to carbon copy the testimonials to those who create content for television and the movies.

Along with ADA, these entertainment executives ought to begin giving credit where credit is due.

p.s. Isn’t it a shame that the ADA is spending its considerable clout throwing up obstacles that prevent fearful and anxious patients from seeing their dentists, rather than working to remove all such barriers? Makes one wonder whose side the ADA is on.