wyod501
05-07-2005, 04:44 PM
What questions should a person ask the office staff when calling around for a new dentist? I am extremely phobic of dental work, and never know what and how to ask to be sure that the people that I make the appointment with are what I am looking for. It's been a couple of years since I have had any maintenence and I think it is more than time, just have to find the right office.
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Warah
05-08-2005, 03:30 PM
If it were me I would make a couple lists:
1. Write down your biggest dental fears, where they stemmed from ect.
That way you can clearly discuss with your future dentists your apprehensions and fears and they can accomodate you the best they can.
2. Write down your expectations for the office. Do you want the staff to be good listeners/communicators/educators, do you want a little extra TLC, do you expect that all procedures are to be pain free, ect. This helps you identify what kind of dental office you are more comfortable in. Some office really cater towards dental phobic people. They have relaxing music, pillows/blankets, give nitrous and premed with valium prior to procedures. Some have movies you can watch during the procedure, some use special tools to make it more comfortable such as "pain free" anesthetic (the WAND or Vibrajet) and "pain free" drilling by using a laser for some procedures.
Other offices just do not want to deal with high maintenance people.
3. What are your treatment goals. Do you want a perfect smile, healthier gums/teeth, old amalgam fillings removed, or just get the basics done and survive the ordeal.
If you have a clear idea of what you are looking for you will instantly know what place is right for you. Its really important to trust who is working on you--go with your gut instincts. Most dentist will not let you shop around--they will usually require a fee for an exam. But there is no harm in asking to meet the dentist for a free consult.
I would call around explain that you have some dental fears and haven't been seen for awhile. Ask how they deal with TLC patients. What do they offer?--nitrous, movies, ect. What does the first visit entail? (Most have you see the dds first, hygienist second, restorative third unless something is bothering you), how do they deal with insurance--will they check on your benefits for you or is that something you have to make sure is covered. And will they let you know what your financial responsilbility is prior to treatment? Ask how long the dentist has been practicing? Do you want someone fresh out of school, someone that graduated 60 years ago? Is there more than one dentist (some people like only one doctor working on them) Do they focus on cosmetic dentistry (if they do they may be really into big cases like veneers/crowns and primarly do white colored fillings). If you have kids ask if they are a family practice and see children. If you ask lots of questions they you can really get a feel for the office and screen them over the phone. If they don't seem interested in answering your questions, move on, they would not be a good place for you.
Good luck :) I am sure you will find the right office for you.
1. Write down your biggest dental fears, where they stemmed from ect.
That way you can clearly discuss with your future dentists your apprehensions and fears and they can accomodate you the best they can.
2. Write down your expectations for the office. Do you want the staff to be good listeners/communicators/educators, do you want a little extra TLC, do you expect that all procedures are to be pain free, ect. This helps you identify what kind of dental office you are more comfortable in. Some office really cater towards dental phobic people. They have relaxing music, pillows/blankets, give nitrous and premed with valium prior to procedures. Some have movies you can watch during the procedure, some use special tools to make it more comfortable such as "pain free" anesthetic (the WAND or Vibrajet) and "pain free" drilling by using a laser for some procedures.
Other offices just do not want to deal with high maintenance people.
3. What are your treatment goals. Do you want a perfect smile, healthier gums/teeth, old amalgam fillings removed, or just get the basics done and survive the ordeal.
If you have a clear idea of what you are looking for you will instantly know what place is right for you. Its really important to trust who is working on you--go with your gut instincts. Most dentist will not let you shop around--they will usually require a fee for an exam. But there is no harm in asking to meet the dentist for a free consult.
I would call around explain that you have some dental fears and haven't been seen for awhile. Ask how they deal with TLC patients. What do they offer?--nitrous, movies, ect. What does the first visit entail? (Most have you see the dds first, hygienist second, restorative third unless something is bothering you), how do they deal with insurance--will they check on your benefits for you or is that something you have to make sure is covered. And will they let you know what your financial responsilbility is prior to treatment? Ask how long the dentist has been practicing? Do you want someone fresh out of school, someone that graduated 60 years ago? Is there more than one dentist (some people like only one doctor working on them) Do they focus on cosmetic dentistry (if they do they may be really into big cases like veneers/crowns and primarly do white colored fillings). If you have kids ask if they are a family practice and see children. If you ask lots of questions they you can really get a feel for the office and screen them over the phone. If they don't seem interested in answering your questions, move on, they would not be a good place for you.
Good luck :) I am sure you will find the right office for you.
wyod501
05-08-2005, 07:36 PM
Thanks. The biggest problem is that you never, ever get past the receptionist when calling to find the right one. And then when it becomes clear the clinic chosen isn't a good fit, then start all over again. After thinking about what my requirements are, I think that I know what I want from a dental clinic.
RDH: I want my teeth cleaned. I want you to do this without lectures about my personal habits, lifestyle choices, etc. You may think that you are "educating" me, but I don't appreciate it, thank you. If I hear the words "deep cleaning" , or "scaling" or "root planing" I will leave and never come back. If I don't feel like xrays, there won't be any. Period.
DDS: I know there are things in my mouth that probably should be repaired. Don't push it. I will be back in when I get the courage up and know that I can trust you. Yes, I have very good dental coverage, but you aren't going to spend the whole capitation limit in one year. BTW, drilling requires medication in advance. The good stuff. I don't want to remember what I am hearing or what you are doing.
Both: Don't try to sell me on treatments and procedures that A) are a little scary for someone like me; or b) are just plain unnecessary; or c) are going to cost much more than a c-note. I have been known to get up out of the dental chair and walk out right in the middle of cleanings and treatment because of the issues above and because they may have ignored or verbally minimized my fears. Endodontists, periodontists, root canals, crowns, bridge appliances...well, the list goes on...please don't even talk to me about them. Just pull the offending tooth and we'll get along just fine.
WaRDH, I know you have encountered a few patients like me in the past, or even in the present, and for that I am really sorry. I understand that we make trying days in a demanding profession even more stressful. Why am I needful of such an approach? It goes back too many years to go into here.
I really appreciate your reply. I am going to use your post to formulate the questions I am going to ask.
BTW? Where in WA?
RDH: I want my teeth cleaned. I want you to do this without lectures about my personal habits, lifestyle choices, etc. You may think that you are "educating" me, but I don't appreciate it, thank you. If I hear the words "deep cleaning" , or "scaling" or "root planing" I will leave and never come back. If I don't feel like xrays, there won't be any. Period.
DDS: I know there are things in my mouth that probably should be repaired. Don't push it. I will be back in when I get the courage up and know that I can trust you. Yes, I have very good dental coverage, but you aren't going to spend the whole capitation limit in one year. BTW, drilling requires medication in advance. The good stuff. I don't want to remember what I am hearing or what you are doing.
Both: Don't try to sell me on treatments and procedures that A) are a little scary for someone like me; or b) are just plain unnecessary; or c) are going to cost much more than a c-note. I have been known to get up out of the dental chair and walk out right in the middle of cleanings and treatment because of the issues above and because they may have ignored or verbally minimized my fears. Endodontists, periodontists, root canals, crowns, bridge appliances...well, the list goes on...please don't even talk to me about them. Just pull the offending tooth and we'll get along just fine.
WaRDH, I know you have encountered a few patients like me in the past, or even in the present, and for that I am really sorry. I understand that we make trying days in a demanding profession even more stressful. Why am I needful of such an approach? It goes back too many years to go into here.
I really appreciate your reply. I am going to use your post to formulate the questions I am going to ask.
BTW? Where in WA?
Warah
05-09-2005, 12:44 AM
Wyod501:
Yes, I have worked with people such as yourself. It IS really hard and frustrating but makes it all worth it when you can get them to trust you. And especially worth it when they care about keeping their teeth and gums healthy.
But you will have a hard time finding a good dentist with a chip on your shoulder and with an attitude like dentistry has put one over on you. At least 50% of patients that come to the dentist have fears in one way or the other. So you are really nobody special but a pain in the ***, especially if you come into the place trying to call all the shots and with a clear sense of distrust (as a first impression, no offense) ;)
It sounds like you just want to deal with a tooth that is bothering you, right?
So you might want to start from there. Tell the office that such and such tooth is bothering you, would like to have an exam only. And only that tooth dealt with for now. See how they respond. Some dentists do not want to deal with patients who only come to them on an emergency basis. A community clinic may be something better for your dental needs but may not have the extra perks for TLC patients (they should have nitrous...I don't know if they would premed since community clinic)
BTW: The dentist will not be able to do a comprehensive exam without a set of x-rays and periodontal probings, period (if its one tooth he will need an x-ray for that). Liability-wise the dentist is required to take films to diagnose. Also the dentist/hygienist are responsible for delivering a treatment plan. If something went wrong and films were not taken or information was not delivered the dentist could be liable. So really its not all about "lecturing" and "educating." Its really about giving you all the information that they see and thier recommendations to fix it. Plain and simple and if they did not do this they would not be doing thier jobs.
I am glad I gave you some good ideas. Good luck
I am from Seattle. Are you a Washingtonian yourself?
Yes, I have worked with people such as yourself. It IS really hard and frustrating but makes it all worth it when you can get them to trust you. And especially worth it when they care about keeping their teeth and gums healthy.
But you will have a hard time finding a good dentist with a chip on your shoulder and with an attitude like dentistry has put one over on you. At least 50% of patients that come to the dentist have fears in one way or the other. So you are really nobody special but a pain in the ***, especially if you come into the place trying to call all the shots and with a clear sense of distrust (as a first impression, no offense) ;)
It sounds like you just want to deal with a tooth that is bothering you, right?
So you might want to start from there. Tell the office that such and such tooth is bothering you, would like to have an exam only. And only that tooth dealt with for now. See how they respond. Some dentists do not want to deal with patients who only come to them on an emergency basis. A community clinic may be something better for your dental needs but may not have the extra perks for TLC patients (they should have nitrous...I don't know if they would premed since community clinic)
BTW: The dentist will not be able to do a comprehensive exam without a set of x-rays and periodontal probings, period (if its one tooth he will need an x-ray for that). Liability-wise the dentist is required to take films to diagnose. Also the dentist/hygienist are responsible for delivering a treatment plan. If something went wrong and films were not taken or information was not delivered the dentist could be liable. So really its not all about "lecturing" and "educating." Its really about giving you all the information that they see and thier recommendations to fix it. Plain and simple and if they did not do this they would not be doing thier jobs.
I am glad I gave you some good ideas. Good luck
I am from Seattle. Are you a Washingtonian yourself?
wyod501
05-09-2005, 01:17 PM
Wyod501:
At least 50% of patients that come to the dentist have fears in one way or the other. So you are really nobody special but a pain in the ***, especially if you come into the place trying to call all the shots and with a clear sense of distrust (as a first impression, no offense) ;)
This is essentially not true. No offense taken, though. Most people in the dentistry business have a truly difficult time understanding just how crippling this fear is for some.
It sounds like you just want to deal with a tooth that is bothering you, right?
Nope, just like to have cleaned teeth and that is where we start the trust building, since patients see the rdh more than the dds. It takes at least four or five visits before I am ready to see the DDS.
BTW: The dentist will not be able to do a comprehensive exam without a set of x-rays and periodontal probings, period (if its one tooth he will need an x-ray for that). Liability-wise the dentist is required to take films to diagnose. Also the dentist/hygienist are responsible for delivering a treatment plan. If something went wrong and films were not taken or information was not delivered the dentist could be liable. So really its not all about "lecturing" and "educating." Its really about giving you all the information that they see and thier recommendations to fix it. Plain and simple and if they did not do this they would not be doing thier jobs.
In the end, however, the patient will always have the right to say "no." I know that this is frustrating for you, but you work for the patient. No offense meant. I also understand that the clinic also has the right not to offer treatment
I am glad I gave you some good ideas. Good luck
I am from Seattle. Are you a Washingtonian yourself?
Did my MTE at a little school near Yakima. Used to live in North Central Oregon--transferred to Wyoming two years ago
At least 50% of patients that come to the dentist have fears in one way or the other. So you are really nobody special but a pain in the ***, especially if you come into the place trying to call all the shots and with a clear sense of distrust (as a first impression, no offense) ;)
This is essentially not true. No offense taken, though. Most people in the dentistry business have a truly difficult time understanding just how crippling this fear is for some.
It sounds like you just want to deal with a tooth that is bothering you, right?
Nope, just like to have cleaned teeth and that is where we start the trust building, since patients see the rdh more than the dds. It takes at least four or five visits before I am ready to see the DDS.
BTW: The dentist will not be able to do a comprehensive exam without a set of x-rays and periodontal probings, period (if its one tooth he will need an x-ray for that). Liability-wise the dentist is required to take films to diagnose. Also the dentist/hygienist are responsible for delivering a treatment plan. If something went wrong and films were not taken or information was not delivered the dentist could be liable. So really its not all about "lecturing" and "educating." Its really about giving you all the information that they see and thier recommendations to fix it. Plain and simple and if they did not do this they would not be doing thier jobs.
In the end, however, the patient will always have the right to say "no." I know that this is frustrating for you, but you work for the patient. No offense meant. I also understand that the clinic also has the right not to offer treatment
I am glad I gave you some good ideas. Good luck
I am from Seattle. Are you a Washingtonian yourself?
Did my MTE at a little school near Yakima. Used to live in North Central Oregon--transferred to Wyoming two years ago