I was appalled by the recent article by Dr. DiTolla entitled, "Giving Patients Freedom of Choice," in the February 1998 issue. Does Dr. DiTolla really believe that by eliminating amalgam from his dental practice he is giving patients freedom of choice? If he does, he is either totally self-delusional or completely out of touch with reality, or worse ... both.
Amalgam has been, and still is, a superb dental restorative material that is cost-effective, has a long useful lifetime, and is relatively easy to place. It is time-tested and the restorative of choice in many clinical situations. Shouldn`t Dr DiTolla`s article have been titled "Not Giving Patients Freedom of Choice," or "How to Effectively Sell Expensive Dentistry?"
My favorite part of the article is when Dr. DiTolla talks about removing the amalgam inlay (has anyone ever done or heard of an amalgam inlay?) from the oversized model tooth and tosses it to the side. Is that a casual flip or a slow, studied underhand toss?
Fredric L. Rosen, DDS, FAGD
New Haven, CT
