Interview with Dr. Szakaly

Dr. Lorraine Celis, North Central Dental Society’s Vice-President and a member of the IDA Council on Communications had the pleasure of interviewing fellow North Central member Dr. Marty Szakaly about his upcoming term as Indiana Dental Association’s President.  North Central Dental Society is proud of Dr. Szakaly and all the hard work he has done supporting and representing the community, dental industry and fellow colleagues.

Celis: Tell us about your family.

Szakaly: I met my wife Patty in 1970, and married her in 1975.  We have two children Brian who is 30 and Kim who is 29.

Celis: What do your children do? Are there any dentists in the family?

Szakaly: Brian is an oral surgeon, in Chesapeake, Virginia.  He graduated from IUSD in 2005.  He went on to graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009 and is now an  Oral/Maxillo-Facial surgeon and is married to his wife Cristin.  Kimberly graduated from Notre Dame in 2003 in Information Technology Systems. She is married to Dan Masse; has one child, Sebastien, and is expecting a girl in March, 2010.
Celis: Where did you go to school?

Szakaly:  I graduated from St. Joseph’s High School in South Bend in 1970, Notre Dame in 1974 and IUSD in 1978.

Celis:  Your father was a dentist.  When did you take over the family practice?

Szakaly: Dad graduated from IUSD in 1954. He practiced in South Bend for 50 years.  I basically took over the family practice in 1990. Dad was also President of the North Central Dental Society in 1972-73.

Celis:  What are your thoughts about Coronal polishing for dental assistants and dental hygienists giving anesthetic?

Szakaly:  I have fought hygienists giving anesthetic and assistants doing coronal polishing for many years in the IDA House of Delegates.  It is not because I didn’t think they could do it given proper training; it’s the hygiene organization’s agenda that I disagreed with.
This debate was closed two years ago when the House of Delegates voted in favor of this resolution in a special session.  The IDA members, Terry Schechner, John Roberts and Dave Holwager spent countless hours researching the pros and cons of changing these duties.  There was a thorough and complete discussion at this special House; therefore as an officer I stand behind IDA policies.

Celis: What is your opinion about Indiana’s Board Examination being part of the NERB’s?  What are the Pros and Cons.

Szakaly:  Pros:  It is much easier for a dental student to graduate, and take the NERB’s, and have more states to choose from to start practicing. The NERB test is more standardized and fairer than having a single test given by a state. The pass rate seems to have improved greatly.
Cons:  Before Indiana went to the NERB’s, the dental board was very selective about who got an Indiana license because they had to pass the Indiana boards. They also could have earned a license by practicing 5 years in another state, with reciprocity. The Indiana dental students find it easier to leave the state, making some areas of the state underserved while other parts of Indiana now have an influx of dentists where they are not needed.

Celis:  Do you think the Indiana Law portion of the ISBD Licensure Examiniation should be offered on site or on the Internet?

Szakaly: They must take the Indiana law exam in person in Indianapolis.  How would the Board know who really took this test if it is given over the internet?

Celis: What legacy do you want to leave for the IDA after your presidency?

Szakaly:  I want to inspire members of the IDA to be true to our profession, by standing up for the values that we have always held close to our hearts; to be true to our patients by treating them according to these values; and therefore to be true to ourselves because we are proud of our profession and our care for our patients.

Celis: How do you see the future of practicing dentistry in Indiana changing?  Will it change for the better or the worse?
Szakaly: The technological advances in dentistry over the last 25 years are awe-inspiring; these are changes for the better. The methods of doing business may be quite different. I think public health dentistry will expand as the government programs expand. Some dentists may chose to work for government dental care that will evolve in the next 25 years. I believe a majority of dentists will be independent contractors, free of insurance and governmental dictates, and be paid directly by the patient, much like the European model of today.

Celis: Do you feel that Access to Care is improved by creating positions like Dental Therapists? Is quality of care maintained?

Szakaly: No dentist thinks the access to care is going to be improved by these positions. Again, what looks good on paper, in some politician’s bill doesn’t take care of the dental problems out in the wilderness. Someone with two year’s training is not going to be able to take care of complicated dental problems. Yet, the therapist model is being pushed in several states, as has been mentioned many times, it isn’t an access to care, it’s an access to cash. Politicians won’t fund the care that’s needed. They will come up with cheap and inadequate “solutions.”

Celis:  How did you get involved in the politics of dentistry?

Szakaly:  I attended my first House of Delegates in 1983. The last thing I ever expected was to become a Trustee for North Central and then go through the chairs of the IDA. I got into the politics because I thought I could make a difference. I love what I’m doing.

I remember when I was in high school listening to Dr. Lloyd Phillips and my father discussing the direction of dentistry.   Interestingly, they were fighting for our rights with the insurance companies and the government.  Dave Harris and Chuck Hassel were very good at developing leadership in North Central, and they were people I highly admired. If guys like them, and leaders in the past didn’t stand up for our rights, who would have?

The strong will always try to overtake the weak, and the dental profession in Indiana has never been weak. We have always been at the forefront of every fight. Over the IDA’s 150 years, there have always been men who stood up for our profession.

Celis: What do you feel is the role dentists should play in their communities?  How do you feel dentists contribute to making healthier communities?

Szakaly: With our extensive education, we should be sharing our knowledge. We should be leaders in our churches, schools and community. We should be educating our legislators on the importance of oral health to the public’s general health. The last place a dentist should be is locked in his office, not associating with people. Dentists have worked on the Board of Health, been coroners, they have been city and county councilmen. They have been on school boards, and library boards, led mission trips. They have led the fight for fluoridation in all the communities in Indiana, and continue to do so today. They have donated time and money to help the poor.

Celis: What would you say is the position the IDA takes in reference to Medicaid? What is the biggest reason your members do not accept Medicaid?

Szakaly: The IDA for many years has been trying to increase funding to Medicaid. The state funds the programs when times are good, but cuts back when times are bad. This creates distrust in the program.  Dentists are afraid that if they get in, Medicaid won’t always be properly funded.  Indiana is currently going through a budget crisis where many programs are being cut.

The government thinks that dentists and physicians can give their care away because access to care is a right. Is it also a right that the indigent have a roof over their head, transportation, food, heat etc? As far as I know none of these other businesses have to work at a loss, and still be expected to pay their overhead, their employees and their taxes.

Celis: Do you feel national healthcare will improve access to care?

Szakaly:  As stated above, just because the government promises something, doesn’t mean there’s money available to do it correctly. A dentist has a right to make a good income, as much as an attorney, a banker or anyone who has invested as much time and money in their education. I fear that the insurance companies will still rule Washington, and the physicians and dentists will be sacrificed. I can’t imagine the cost of the bureaucracy to run this program. I fear that the best people would no longer enter dentistry if the financial rewards are slim and the work hours are long; thus further reducing the access to care.