Alternative Careers

Time to expand your horizons - Dental Consulting, Employment Options and Tips

With the advent of automation the need and value of the Staff Dental Consultant is in flux making it prudent to seek other employment options. Dental consulting is an expansive field requiring entrepreneurs to seek hidden jewels in the market place thereby expanding income opportunities. Helping you recognize these areas is the purpose of this article and an introduction to AADC Employment Resource Section of the aadc.org web site. Let us examine employment options and explore resources allowing you to develop a base for consulting activities. Here are industries that require your expertise in the Dental Consulting marketplace:

Auto Insurance Industry

Call the claims or adjusters offices of your local and state auto insurance companies and inquire about helping to review injury cases involving trauma to the head, face, teeth and neck. Of course, our expertise as dentists will cover all injuries in this anatomic region and in many cases will help qualify the claim subjectively. All opinions are appreciated and needed to focus on the validity and extent of the injuries (see insurance fraud statistics on aadc.org)

Workman’s Compensation companies

Workman’s compensation claims involving workplace injury to the face, teeth and neck are routinely reviewed by physician QMEs. These evaluations are devoid of the scrutiny provided by Dental Consultants fully aware of the nuances in treatment sequencing, coding and relevant fees. Contact all Workman’s Compensation companies in your state and ask if you can send your resumé. Tell the contact person about your qualification and tell them about the AADC. (See State Workman’s Compensation Boards)

Attorneys

Personal Injury Attorneys oftentimes need a Consulting Dentist on call. Call your local attorney group, present your qualifications and tell them you are available to qualify injury claims for them. This involves reviewing injury reports, hospital admissions reports and police and ambulance records to help determine the extent of injuries related to request for reimbursement from liability carriers. The litigation process itself requires your services. Claims related to potential dental malpractice require the review by Certified Dental Consultants to determine the clinical ramifications and significance of the claim of injury or the need for defense. Usually this is not steady work, but you may get calls for 4-5 cases a year. The usual fee for evaluating these cases is $75-150.00 per hour, $500.00 for written report and $200.00 per hour for court appearances. These cases are interesting.

Victim’s compensation boards

Every state in the union has a victim's compensation board whose sole purpose is to provide relief for damages caused by violent crimes. In many instances, the teeth, jaws and face are traumatically involved and subsequent claims for dental restoration ensue. Your expertise is required to give some relevance to these claims and, in many cases, prevent duplicate procedures or outlandish treatment. Call the victim compensation Boards (See Victim compensation) and tell them about your consulting background and abilities.

Self – Employed Employer groups

Determine the number and types of UAW locals in your community. In many cases, these local unions operate their own Taft-Hartley Health and security fund with dental coverage as a benefit. Remember payers need to be timely and are required to have second opinions and tertiary review in cases of denials. They operate their own TPA that is frequently in need of a dental consultant. Approach the secretary treasurer of the union and offer your services keeping HIPAA regulations in mind. Remember payers need to be timely, are required to have second opinions and tertiary review in cases of denials. These payers are in excessive need for policy revision and dental coding updates for the beneficiary’s summary plan description booklets. Every time a new CDT book is issued, an AADC member is needed so try it out and contact a Union Teamsters representative

These ideas only touch the surface of how you can expand your consulting activities. Our web site does also provide an AADC employment section. Here you will find helpful opportunities to search and post national positions.