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How to select a great
dentist
So, how do you do that? Would you look at ones
credentials, or you just ask a friend. What is important and
relevant and what is just marketing generated value?
To answer these questions lets review each deciding factor
separately:
Location:
Many people choose their dentist based on where
his or her office is. They figure "I don't have to travel long
distance to get to him so let's find the closest dentist." On average
(if you are a disciplined patient) you probably have to go to your
dentist twice a year. Therefore, although you should not choose a
dentist who practices 30 miles away, you shouldn't pick the dentist
that has an office in the closest shopping center either, unless
there are other reasons for it.
Age:
"Should I go to a young, middle age or old dentist?"
Older dentists are more experienced... right? But younger ones are more
familiar with latest technology and are more up-to-date... aren't they? The
fact is stereotyping will not give you an accurate result all the
time. You may end up with an inexperienced dentist who is not the
high-tech guru you hopped for, or with an old dentist with no great skills even after years.
The skills and degree of knowledge depends more on
individual doctors rather than their age alone.
Memberships
Is that a positive point for your dentist if he or she is a
member of let's say American Dental Association? To be honest with
you, when anybody who pays the membership will become a member, how
can that be a positive?
What is probably more important than different
memberships is whether your doctor has any special CLINICAL achievements
within that organization. There are a lot of doctors who are good
administrators or good speakers but not necessarily good clinicians.
A good administrator can move up in an organization
rather quickly but it does not always translate to a superior
ability to provide higher quality of dental care to patients.
Find a great
dentist!
Faculty Member
How important is to be a faculty member
of a reputable dental school? As it was the case with association
membership, being a faculty member by itself does not make a dentist a better clinician. Nothing against that valuable
credential, but if you are a good researcher or an excellent teacher
it does not mean that you are necessarily better (clinically) at
what you do. As a matter of fact there are a lot of faculty members
that lack the clinical experience necessary for high quality dental
care.
So if your dentist or the prospective one is a faculty
member take that as a positive but don't make your decision solely
based on that.
Fees
Are higher fees mean better service? Is a low cast
dentist provides a lower quality of care?
It is difficult to find a direct relation between the
two. Yes, if the fee for dental procedures is really less than what you expect, you want to
find out why. At the same time a very high price dental treatment does not equate a
very high quality of work.
So, what should you look for?
Office Appearance:
If you have a chance to take a look at a
dental
practice or have friends who have been to an dental office you can use that information to some extent to evaluate
your dentist.
You may say: "what does that have to do with a dentist's
clinical skills?" Well, maybe no relation directly but a dentist who
cares about the appearance of his/her practice is someone that in
general cares about esthetics. Some one who spends time on
decorating a practice and makes sure his practice is always spotless
is usually a person who pays attention to details (Which is very
important in dentistry).
A doctor who cares about his patient's experience in
his office usually cares about his patients' health in general.
Now it is always true that a dentist may spend time
and money in decoration for marketing reasons, but that certainly
should not be considered a negative.
Office Organization:
A dentist who manages an organized office is usually
an organized person in general. If I wanted to find someone to take
care of my teeth, I would want someone organized and neat. Someone
who can manage my treatment the same way he manages a successful
business, with care and due diligence.
Doctor's Attitude:
A confident doctor usually is a calm and friendly
one. Nervousness comes from stress and lack of confidence. Although
you can not use this fact as a general rule, you can look at it as
an important factor.
Find a great
dentist!
Staff
Staff issue is probably one of the least relevant
ones. Surprised? Don't be. I have seen so many good doctors with bad
staff members who reflected negatively on the dentist. You may say it
is the doctor's fault if a staff member does not perform well and you are
right at least to some extent. But the issue is that finding good
staff especially in good economic times is very challenging. So, try
your best to make your decision on the doctor himself/herself rather than
the attitude of one staff member.
Other Dental Professional Referrals
Referral by other dental professional is
usually a strong endorsement for a dentist. This is one of a few
methods you can rely on to expect a good quality service without
knowing much about the dentist yourself. Another dental professional
must have seen something from the referee doctor to be willing to
put his own professional reputation on the line for him/her. This is
specially the case when you are referred to an specialist whether it
is a Periodontist (gum specialist), Endodontist (root canal
specialist) or other dental specialties.
Finding a good, skilled and caring
dentist is not always easy but when you do find one stick to
him/her. Don't allow an insurance plan policy or financial issue
come in between you and your doctor.
Find a great
dentist!
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