How to Find the Right Dentist
It is important to choose the right dentist for you and your family. You want someone who makes you feel comfortable and is also well-trained trained to give you the dentistry you need. Find a dentist who is affiliated with a reputable office located conveniently with respect to your home or work. The dentists’ credentials must be available on the Internet.
Qualifications
Qualified dentists may be doctors of dental medicine (DMD) or doctors of dental surgery (DDS). The two are equivalent: they both require at least two years of pre-dental college work plus by four years of dental proper. Dentists need to pass national and state exams prior to being licensed.
Specialties
Dentists can also be board-certified as specialists in particular focused branches of dentistry. Dentists, to become specialists, have to take up advanced training and schoolwork for two additional years. Among the most common and recognized dental specialties are periodontics or gum treatment; and orthodontics, pedodontics or pediatric dentistry; and endodontics or root canal therapy.
Hygienists
Dental hygienists or assistants are often the ones who perform routine cleanings. The hygienist have a designation of RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist) or RDHEF (Registered Dental Hygienist with Extended Functions). A dental assistant usually provides assistance while a dentist is performing a procedure, sets up anesthesia, takes x-rays and does all other general tasks in the office.
Questions to Ask
When you come and see a new dentist, never hesitate to ask questions, such as:
> How long has the dentist been in practice?
> How trained and experienced is the dentist in terms of the type of procedure you need?
> Which dental societies does is the dentist a member of?
> Does the dentist offer emergency care?
Fees
Definitely, you should not pick a dentist because of price alone, but you do have to understand the costs prior to getting treatment. If you have dental insurance, ask the office to explain what will be covered or not, and what out-of-pocket expenses might be.
What You Should Expect
The dentist as well as the office staff should be friendly and patient-centered. They should be concerned about preventive care, advising you for such things as comprehensive dental exams, routine cleanings, x-rays, periodontal exams, etc., all of which are helpful in keeping you from getting pricey repair procedures later on. The dentist must discuss his findings with you and provide recommendations as needed.
Most dentists would not want to schedule cleanings simultaneously with a new patient comprehensive exam. That’s because x-rays and a thorough exam are needed to tell what type of cleaning is most clinically appropriate for your specific needs. For example, should periodontal disease be detected, the patient may require far more than a regular mouth cleaning.