Sunday 17 February 2013

How to Choose Your Best Dentist


How to Choose Your Best Dentist

In our insurance-driven world today, many people simply choose their dentist off a list. They assume that a dental cleaning is the same no matter where they go and the cheaper the visit, the better deal they’re getting. With the new packages available from Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. (IDA), dentists can choose whether or not they want to include information about dental financing on their dental marketing websites. IDA’s pre-written articles make lead generation easy for dentists who already know their market needs dental financing options.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a dentist. First and foremost, you should take into account where the dental practice is located, and if the office is convenient to your home or workplace. Also, don’t forget to check into the business hours to make sure they fit with your schedule. Is the dentist’s office open five days a week? Do they have early morning or lunchtime hours so that you can make dental instruments treatment appointments around your work schedule?

Each dental practice follows its own clinical philosophy – that drives all their patient care decisions. Frontline and The Center for Public Integrity have recently published two articles regarding Wall Street-owned dental practices that have a questionable approach that suggests the “buyer beware”. Often, people see ‘free exam’ or ‘free x-rays’ and believe they will receive great value for their hard-earned dollar. If the promotion focuses on steep discounts, then the buyer must assume this income will be earned in other ways. Dentists following a more conservative clinical philosophy often promote their success with prevention (No Decay Clubs and long term healthy patients) and quality care.

The next step is to schedule a consultation with the two to three dentists you have identified as the best candidates. It is important that any dental practice you choose be focused on preventative care. The main reason to have regular dentist appointments is to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy and to keep any significant problems at bay. If your dentist tells you the only option is to pull all your teeth and get dentures, seek a second opinion. Rarely is this the only option available. Even for teeth that look badly broken down or discolored, often the bone support is strong – and these are teeth that can be saved.

During this initial visit, check out the facilities and meet the dental hygienist(s) as well as any of the other office staff. Ask lots of questions, including how many years the dentist(s) in the practice has been in business. You may even wish to know where he or she went to dental school. Do they offer any cosmetic dentistry procedures? Finally, are the dentists members of the American Dental Association? The ADA is known as “Americas leading advocate for oral health care.”

Dentists that want to provide treatment that meets patient needs usually offer treatment options, so you can choose the treatment that best fits your lifestyle and health. Another factor to consider is the cost of the dental practice’s services. Don’t be afraid to ask for some sort of price list. Though this is not the most important part of your decision making process, it is certainly something to take into account when shopping for dentists with dental micro motor treatment. Also, along these same lines, find out what dental insurance policies they accept and how their filing process works. Both of these items will be quite helpful when comparing dental practices.

One final point that may not be top of mind, but is crucial information nonetheless, is to find out the dental practice’s emergency procedures. What happens if you break a tooth or have severe oral pain in the middle of the night or over the weekend? Does the office you are considering have an on-call dentist? Perhaps they even share call rotation with another dental handpiece practice. This is good information to know in the event you should ever need after hours care. This is in stark contrast to the community dentist who lives and works in the same city as his patients, running into patients at the local grocery store and serving in volunteer organizations together. The stronger relationships the dentist has in the community, help the dentist to see his patients as friends – rather than an income source. This increases trust and communication for both dentists and patients.

For most of us, going to the dentist does not top our list of favorite activities, but it is a crucial part of your overall health. For this reason, you want to pick a dental practice where you and your family will feel comfortable for years to come.