The four best criteria to choose our dentist

In previous articles we have talked about the problems caused by not choosing the right dentist. From chains that disappear leaving clients unattended and with half-finished treatments, to patients who do not receive the right treatment, either because it is not performed correctly, or because unnecessary or excessive interventions are imposed on them for their case.

Often the patient’s decision is based on price, as this is the factor that most often conditions him or her. However, a bad service not only ends up being more expensive, but can also have very negative consequences on oral health. A filling in which the caries has not been completely eliminated, a cleaning in which there is still tartar in the gum, and even replacing dental pieces that could have been saved. In some cases it means paying for the service again to another specialist; in others, a worsening of the problem and an extra cost that we could have saved, as well as an unnecessary risk to our health.

On the other hand, the patient does not usually have the technical knowledge necessary to assess in the first place whether the service they are offered is what they really need, whether it is performed well, and whether the professional chosen is the most appropriate one.

But how do we decide in the first place whether or not we can trust the dentist in front of us? There are four guidelines that can help us decide.

1. The time he/she spends with us. A good professional will dedicate quality time to interview us, to be interested in our general state of health, the reason for our consultation and our oral problems. He/she will perform a dental examination and x-rays to collect all the information necessary to determine a starting point: oral health. The pseudo-professional will hardly spend time talking and will go directly to see the mouth and recite in verse the treatment, as if it were a multiplication table. There will be little time for explanations and he or she will pass us by.
2. The advice he gives us. In addition, he or she will talk to us about our health situation, give us recommendations to improve our health and point out the necessary preventive measures to maintain our health in the long term. The pseudo-professional will never have used the word “prevention” during a visit, indeed, he will not even remember what it means.
3. The alternatives offered to us. When the time comes to manage the visits, the professional will be scrupulous in restoring health to our mouth, prioritizing this above all else. In addition, he will explain to us the different possible treatments to solve the reason for our consultation. The pseudo-professional will want to start as soon as possible with the most expensive ones, implants, prostheses or orthodontics.
4. The person who serves us. The most obvious example of this is now: it is no longer the professional who comes into play, it is the salesperson. This figure, which did not exist before in health centers, now plays a leading role in some of them. He or she is responsible for attracting, closing and selling the operation, never better said. There is undoubtedly a well-rehearsed move: financing. What a priori should be a help, a good financing without interest and in the long term, can also become a hard sentence. You will stay in that clinic until you finish the treatment, without being able to give it up if something smells fishy or if you unfortunately live in your own flesh a disastrous and despicable experience.

Many pseudo-professionals play on the fear and insecurity that health issues generate in people, and the nerves of being in a dentist’s office. The best thing to do is not to decide anything at the moment, gather all the information we are given, listen to our intuition and ask for second opinions when something is bothering us.

Once at home, let’s research, ask for recommendations, compare and be critical. The basis of our choice has to be trust, if we choose cheaply we can end up paying a very expensive price.