One of the many reasons people do not get the care they need is because of lack of trust. Whether it is the dentist, the doctor, the hair stylist, or the car mechanic, we generally seek out individuals who we like and thereby trust to provide a service for us.
I always ask new patients of mine how they decided to come to my office. The responses I get are probably the same for most dentists. The top ones are referrals by a friend or family member, the phone book, and more recently the internet.
I used to think that the only reasonable way to pick a health-care provider was from a referral of a friend or family member. Although, I do not think it is a bad way, I think the best way involves a little more research on the part of the prospective patient. Your best friend may have a dentist that she absolutely loves, but they may not be the right person for you.
So, how do you choose a dentist? Personally, I think it is very difficult. Trusting the dentist tops the list for satisfied patients in feedback surveys. You don’t have to be skeptical of every person’s trustworthiness, but I do think that prospective patients should sit down and have a conversation with any potential dentist or doctor prior to becoming a patient. It doesn’t matter where the dentist went to school or how long they have been in practice. What does matter is that you are comfortable with the people in the office.
It is impossible for a prospective patient to accurately judge a dentist’s technical competency. And although trust is essential, it has nothing to do with technical skills. If it did, then the most competent doctors would always be the most trusted. A key component is always not what was recommended but the approach and emotion behind how it was presented.
If the cost of service is the only thing that is your determining factor in choosing a dentist, you will not learn much about the dentist by asking questions about fees. Fees in any one particular office are based on many different factors. These factors include the level of training of the dentist, the quality of the materials and laboratories used, and the expenditures involved in running a small business. The amount and type of continuing education a dentist takes is very important and often reflects the quality of care they provide.
As a consumer, your search should begin with determining your objectives. Are you looking for a short-term relationship and inexpensive way to fix an immediate concern or a long-term relationship to partner in achieving optimum health? Although many patients choose their dentist based on whether they take their insurance, for reasons I completely understand, it is not the best way to find the most appropriate dentist.
The last step is to make an appointment with the dentist to just talk and discuss your concerns. This can be a 30 minute appointment with or without x-rays, just to get a feeling for the office and dentist. Most dentists will not charge a fee for this visit.
There is no one dentist who is right for everyone. Use the same criteria for choosing a dental office that you use in choosing any other service. You’ll know you are in the right place when you feel a mutual level of respect and your individual concerns are addressed in a caring, non-pressuring manner. Good luck and I encourage any questions you may have.