Criteria to Help Choose a Dentist
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A DENTIST
How Do You Choose a Good One?
Today, many dental patients are confused about how to select a dentist. Please evaluate a dental office based on many criteria.
1) Compatibility of the philosophy of the practice with your own. Dentists come with various beliefs, attitudes and values, just like everyone else, and it behooves you to ask your dentist what is his philosophy of practice.
2) Cleanliness and strict adherence to OSHA guidelines. A good dentist maintains a clean office, staffs it with neat personnel, and observes sanitary precautions in sterilizing instruments, supplies, and equipment. The office stresses proper preparation to avoid any transfer of disease.
3) The dentist has you complete a thorough, general, and oral health history. Your dentist needs pertinent health information to ascertain whether you have any kind of allergies, aliments, or diseases. As in all health services, a history provides valuable insight for your dentist that may well influence your future treatment.
4) A good dentist establishes a relationship and takes the time to review the history and your past experiences in dentistry with you, He listens to your problems and wants to know your aspirations.
5) A thorough clinical examination of oral structures, including all hard and soft tissues in the mouth. There are several categories that your dentist will carefully evaluate:
· Your periodontal status which will be detected by pocket measurements around the gumlines.
· An occlusal analysis (checking your bite).
· An evaluation of your temporomandibular joints and surrounding facial structures. An evaluation of all existing fillings and those deemed clinically necessary.
· A cosmetic smile analysis, if you have an interest in changing your smile.
· An oral cancer examination. A good dentist always looks for irritation or lesions in the head or neck regions, as well as intra-orally. Last year over 6,000 Americans died from oral cancer, many of them needlessly because they failed to see their dentist or physician often enough. All good dentists should be analyzing each of these areas thoroughly to determine which, if any, are your major risks for existing and future problems.
6) A complete full mouth series of radiographs and/or panelipse. Your dentist should take a complete series of radiographs of your teeth and jaws to assist him in your oral and facial examination. There are many areas of the teeth and surrounding bone structures that cannot be seen without the aid of radiographs and an examination performed without them is pure guesswork.
7) Diagnostic impressions for study casts. Many times it is necessary for the dentist to make models of your teeth to analyze how your bite is functioning.
8) A private appointment, if needed with you, for consultation. Once your dentist has worked up a treatment plan, it should be discussed with you, in detail, with adequate time for your questions at a treatment conference.
9) A frank discussion of all risks, benefits, alternatives, and liabilities. A good dentist always gives you the plus and minuses of any treatment necessary or elective.
10) A comprehensive discussion of fees. Your dentist should speak with you frankly concerning how much you will have to pay for your dental services. In addition, a mutual agreement concerning the fee should be arranged and various payment options discussed.
11) An explanation of the number of appointments necessary and the approximate length of the appointments.
12) Availability and accessibility for emergency coverage, especially at night, on weekends, or on holidays. Your dentist should have made provisions to care for you should some unforeseen crisis arise. There should be an emergency number whereby the dentist can be called in an emergency.
13) Acceptable technology and materials. Dentistry is changing and your dentist should be transitioning to the digital age and gradually acquiring new technology. For your maximum care, convenience, and comfort, today's dentistry requires constant upgrading of equipment and materials.
14) Prevention. In selecting a dentist, be sure you are provided an explanation of what is necessary to maintain your oral health and that you have been given adequate discussion on proper oral hygiene. The finest dentistry cannot be maintained without proper preventive techniques on your part and this requires the dental office to provide you with adequate information and proper instruction.
15) Preventive Maintenance Visits. The dental office should have a program to contact you at regular intervals for preventive maintenance visits or an appointment established for you on a regular on-going basis for re-care appointments. A good dental office will provide you with adequate oral hygiene visits, as well as regular examinations. This should be an established program in the practice.
16) Utilization of specialists. When your treatment requires specialized care or a service that is beyond the capabilities of the dental practice treating you, a dentist that limits the practice to a specific area of expertise will better serve you. Your dentist should know the limitations and when to place you in the hands of a specialist.
17) Routine continuing education and training for the dentist and his entire staff. Dentistry, like all health professions, is rapidly progressing. New concepts and techniques are being developed at a very rapid pace. This requires dentists to attend continuing education courses to maintain and upgrade their skills to provide you the finest of care. Your dentist should be attending adequate numbers of courses, annually, to assure that you have the latest and most advanced techniques available.
We have listed a number of criteria from which you can ascertain a good dentist. Knowing these factors will give you more insight into the selection of a dentist that's right for you. Use them to select a good dentist so that you can feel confident that you are receiving the fine dental care available in today's dentistry.
