How To Choose A Good Dentist? Tips From The Horse's Mouth

A visit to the dentist is scary under the best of circumstances as it is, without adding the extra pressure of meeting a new dentist. This is a situation that arises often as older dentists retire, patients shift locations or are unhappy with their previous dentist or even as some practices fold up.

Looks Matter!

Of course when I say this, I mean the appearance and upkeep of the clinic rather than the fashion sense of the dentist. A good dentist is one who realizes that a clean, well-ventilated clinic is essential to providing good treatment. A well-organized working area free of clutter with trained auxiliary staff is a good sign. It also means that standard practices like strict sterilization protocols are more likely to be followed. The waiting area should be designed to help the patients feel comfortable as they wait for their turn. Research has shown that this is one of the most nerve wracking moments for anxious patients.

Talk To Your Dentist

Judging a dentist, or anyone for that matter, is only possible if you interact with that person. While it is not possible to physically meet every dentist in your area before getting treatment, you can shortlist a few. Arrive at this list through personal recommendations of people you trust and know have had good experiences getting treatment, along with reviews people have posted online. Online reviews can be a little dodgy sometimes as websites have been known to promote people who pay for their services, as well as fake reviews are all too common nowadays.

A good dentist will take the time to hear you out and then offer the possible treatment plans. The pros and cons of each option should be told to you at the outset and an idea of the final outcome of the treatment should be provided. These treatment plans should take in account various options like time, money, invasiveness and long-term success.

Training And Support

Patients are often amazed to find out that Dentistry offers ten different fields of specialization to Doctors. There is a lot of overlap between various fields of specialization operatively and this has only added to the confusion of the patient. Legally too, general dentists and specialized dentists are allowed to practice almost all of the procedures that they feel competent performing.

This sometimes leads to dentists performing certain procedures that they may be able to perform adequately at best instead of referring the patients to the relevant specialist. The reasons for this can be commercial for the fear of losing the patient or just an over estimation of their own skill.

See Also: Oral Hygiene: Dental Care Mistakes You Could Be Making

Try and choose a dentist who is a specialist in one field and has a panel of experts from the other ones. A comprehensive treatment plan involves close co-ordination between dentists of different specialties and so having in house access makes things easier for both you and your dentist.

Choosing A Dentist: Training, Record keeping And Cost of Treatment

Continuous Training

The field of dentistry continues to change with newer materials, less invasive techniques and changing schools of thought regarding best treatment options. It is imperative that your dentist be abreast of these advances and introduces them into their practice.

This part is a little difficult for you to judge, however look for things like subscriptions to scientific journals, certificates of training or even pictures from conferences attended. You can also look up at the latest treatment options on the Internet and ask your dentist about them. Ideally, he /she would be well versed in it and be offering it at the clinic. 

Follow Up And Record Maintenance

All modern well equipped clinics now have a comprehensive patient management system. It is the duty of every dentist to be responsible for the long term maintenance of all treatment and follow up records. Having complete records at your fingertips may not be something that immediately feels like something that will have a direct impact on your treatment however it is one of the most important facets of running a dental practice.

A large part of maintaining good dental health in the long term depends upon regular recall check up. The frequency of this has to be customized for each patient depending upon the oral hygiene, systemic health and the nature of treatment provided. Talking to someone who is being provided these services will help you know that the dentist is efficient and following current protocols.

Cost Of Treatment

This is slightly tricky as it will vary from person to person and what one considers affordable or fair. Paying too much or too little for routine procedures should raise a flag though. The question is how to know if you are paying too much or too little?

You can ask your dentist an estimate of the cost of the planned procedures before hand and then compare it with what other dentists of similar reputation and experience are charging for the same procedure. If the dentist is charging less than standard rates then it is likely that some compromise is being made with sterilization protocols, materials being used and the implementation of modern technology.

This works the other way as well since beyond a certain point the money being spent is no longer contributing to a better treatment. Ideally your dentist should be almost in line with other dentists of similar experience. He should also offer you good treatment options at various price points and should be able to work with your insurance company.

See Also: Warning Signs Of Gum Disease: What Should You Be Looking For?

Conclusion

It may seem like a little tough to find all the qualities in one dentist easily, however I have faith in our profession and believe that the large majority of dentists follow standard practices and are trained to take the best decisions for your well being. There are a lot more good guys out there than not. Following this simple checklist will help you find a dentist that you will not want to lose extremely easily.