Dentistry In A Rural Town

For the last couple years I have lived in a smaller rural community in western Arizona. Over the couple years, I have gotten to know some of the dental centers in the area and have learned the struggles that they have, that those in the big city do not.

The first challenge they face is their costs. If you have ever been a patient in a rural area dental center, then you know that the cost of dentistry is higher. Trust me, the dentists would like to charge the rates of an urban area, but their costs are so much higher, especially when it comes to supplies. It is cost them more to have them shipped to them.

The other one challenge they face is their competition. In an urban area, there are so many people that smaller, doctor owned dental centers can keep up with corporate centers and have a better chance of success. However in a rural area, 1 or 2 corporate centers that have the higher advertising budget and the ability offer dirt cheap prices can easily dominate the area and leave the dentist owned facilities fight to stay afloat.

This is part of the reason why the Savon Rural Fee schedule is different than the Urban Fee schedule. We have to accommodate for more factors in the dental office