Gary,
Sure ENT's are specialized, as are dentists. Belive it or not dentistry used to be a specialty that one went into after medicine.
You should be a little more thorough before you belittle my passion.

You have data on your statement Gary, because if you do I'd like to see it; "Most tumors aren't even in the normal field of view for where most dentists and hygenists go." How would you know?


By nature of her allowable duties , a dental hygienist, RDH, is not able to make a diagnosis, interpret a radiograph or perform an exam. A literal interpretation of this is, she cannot tell you you have a cavity, or gingivitis because they are medical terms that are diagnosis. She can say, you have a brown spot on your tooth, or you have red bloddy gums.
This is a difficult subject for a lot of dentists to swallow (pardon the pun) especially with the dental HMO's that are out their.

The law in the U.S. and Canada is clear on this.

If anyone has been charged the fee for an examination in a dental office the Dentist had to conduct the exam. If you did not have a dentist, DDS or DMD actually look in your mouth it is fraud.

You are confusing the roles of a Dentist with that of a Hygienist.