{ outreach in action } by Paul Roberts • Foundation & Outreach Director


Who Cares? M


y column title hopefully evokes some emotion and reflection from you. For me, it made me recall my early teen years when my very short sighted and selfish view of the world around me led me to proclaim “Who


Cares” anytime my insolent behavior resulted in pain for others. I couldn’t yet see beyond my immediate needs and wants. Global think- ing for the good of others was not in my skill set. Hopefully over time and with maturity, I’ve softened a bit and have at least recognized that there are always things bigger than me at play, and I should be the one who cares, at least to some reasonable extent.


Care in action is usually in response to a need or an injustice. Or- phanages are born from caring for abandoned children. Shelters and food drives arise from caring for the less fortunate. A community recreation area is built out of care for the health of others. In every instance, caring requires sacrifice, funding, leadership and persever- ance. And few ever regret it when they see good flourishing beyond themselves.


You don’t have to build an orphanage to get it. We all instinctively care about something. Usually, it’s family or things that consume a lot of our time like a career or a hobby. But caring about things beyond our immediate realm in this modern world offers a unique challenge. Convenience and speed are antithetical or at least crimping to the act of caring. Do you feel your care for patients compromised at all when the schedule is over packed? Do you feel an impulsive drive to make every minute count? Is your commute filled with business calls? Are your Zooms conducted while feeding the kids, paying your bills or scrolling on socials? I’m not against solid time management but when every thought and task is divided, the capacity for true empathy or insightful feedback is diluted. It’s not that you and I don’t care about anything, it’s just that we feel “so busy”. After all, isn’t that the cardi- nal American value — busyness?


Dentistry has long been a caring profession. My interaction with members is mostly outside of a clinical setting, but I’m always encour- aged when I see you in your professional provider role. The kindness, the leadership, the skill are all impressive. I’m proud to be associated with the MDA. And after 14 years of being around many of you in other settings, I’ve seen how you care for family or missions or your community. The title question is not designed to be a guilt trip. Rather let it be a stimulant as you evaluate your profession today and specifically in your community and your state.


Membership is on a five-year downward trend. Volunteer engagement follows suit. Finding trustees, delegates, committee members, donors, officers — you name it, is harder than ever. Attendance is often lower


22 focus | SUMMER 2025 | ISSUE 2


whether at the local or state level. And this is all despite many posi- tive legislative wins that benefit everyone, a massive leap forward in providing allied dental education opportunities that help shore up the workforce, and a progressive and dedicated board and staff.


So, who cares that many young grads choose not to renew? And who cares that meetings are cancelled due to a lack of interest? And who cares to fill an open position? And who cares that different practice models need to be embraced because it’s still dentistry and we need everyone? And who cares that our future viability could be at risk?


Sure, some things need to change, and change is scary. Leadership (Board of Trustees, House of Delegates) is reviewing the best way to position our structure and workflow for a more engaging future that yields a strong membership. But it starts with caring. When we care enough to show up, speak up and pony up, there’s no limit to our positive progression for the profession. But like an orphanage, caring will require sacrifice, funding, leadership and perseverance. I believe it will happen. And who cares if it doesn’t? You do. I know you do. So, let’s keep pushing forward through hard dialogue, through mutual support, through awkward change. And we all enjoy seeing good flourish beyond ourselves.


Contact Paul at paul@modentalmail.org and subscribe to the weekly MDA Blog he authors at modental.org/blog.


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