There are many dentists to choose from, how do you know you have chosen the right one? The best dentist is more focused on your dental care. He must be trustworthy. Remember that he will work on sharp objects in the mouth. He will ensure that you as his patient will make the experience pain free as much as possible. Your dentist must be excited and passionate about his profession. He must be somebody passionate about providing you with oral care and treatment. The best dentist will help you gain access for the painful and unattractive parts of your mouth.
The dentist that you choose should be easy to talk with. You must feel comfortable while he works on your teeth. You must feel at ease while he works on giving you that healthy teeth and gums. He must be artistic. Since it will require great mastery and technique to restore your teeth and that beautiful smile. Your dentist must be somebody who is born as a natural leader. This is because he will lead his team of dental hygienist, technicians, and assistants. Let’s not forget the rest of his staff like the receptionist.
Traits a Dentist Should Have
Dentistry can compete for the position of being the least liked profession especially when it comes to children. It is the goal of every dentist to greet their patients with enthusiasm and a smile. This places patient like you at ease. A good dentist tries to gain the trust of his skeptical patient. As a patient, you will walk out of the dental clinic happily.
1. Compassionate and honest
He must be a people person. He must have strong communication skills. The dentist does educate their patients about their diagnosis, treatment and preventative care. He needs to explain technical information easy to understand. A good dentist must be sensitive to the problems caused by poor dental health. It is impossible to trust your judgment to somebody that you don’t trust.
More patients will enjoy a visit to their dentist once they feel at ease. Remember that he will spend a lot of time with you and his other patients all throughout the day. He needs a good interpersonal skill to allow him to interact not just with his patients but, his staff.
2. Involves his patient
A good dentist involves a patient in decision making for treatment. He will explain all the available options. As a patient, you would like your dentist to understand how you feel. He knows how you want to feel to have a sense of control in your treatment. You will least likely feel pain and discomfort.
3. Manual dexterity
Having good manual dexterity is something that a dentist needs. The mouth is a relatively confine small space to work on. He will use a gentle touch since he knows that the patient’s mouth is sensitive. A great dentist knows how to minimize pain and discomfort. He must be able to perform complicated procedures with ease even for long periods of time.
4. Great stamina
He will need to stand for long periods of time since most dental procedures take time.
5. Eager to Learn
Just like a sponge, dentistry is an ever-changing field of science. A good dentist needs to learn innovative procedures. He must be up to date on the latest technological advances.
A Dental Restorative Visit
Before you start your treatment it would be a good idea to give your dentist your full health history. This way he can choose the right treatment for you.
1. Fluoride Varnish Treatment
Contrary to popular belief, fluoride varnish fluoride treatment has been using for decades. A good dentist uses natural mineral fluoride to help build stronger teeth and prevent cavities. Fluoride varnish treatment has been an essential part of oral health. Tooth enamel is the outer layer that protects each tooth. Fluoride protects tooth enamel and resists bacteria that can harm your teeth and gums.
The use of fluoride is especially helpful if you belong to high-risk patients that have a progressive case of dental caries. Cavities form when bacteria build up on teeth and gums forming plaque, a sticky layer. Plaque produces an acid that slowly destroys teeth and gum tissue. This bacteria can infect and harm the nerves and blood found at the tooth’s core.
This is a better option than using a highly concentrated rinse, foam, and gel. Professional fluoride treatment application uses swab, brush, tray or mouthwash. This is not your average fluoride varnish treatment since this has more fluoride than what you found in water or toothpaste. It takes a few minutes to apply. You will be asked to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after the treatment so that the fluoride can fully absorb.
2. Prophy Paste Instructions
Not all prophy paste is created equally. This dental paste is one of the best well-known brands worldwide. Prophy paste contains fluoride. The best kind of prophy paste should taste good and must not have additives. The coarse and medium pumice based paste is ideal for removing;
• Plaque
• Calculus
• Stains, these are caused by coffee, tea, and tobacco
Some variations of the prophy paste have larger coarse grit particles that break down into small fine particles that can do polishing at the same time. The dentist will use the appropriate prophy paste based on dental substrate and degree of tooth discoloration.
To make the prophy paste last longer the dentist will use two different kinds of prophy paste RDA values for each treatment. By the way, RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance. RDA 250 and RDA 170 is for cleaning while RDA 120 and RDA 40 is for tooth polishing. The dentist will use a different rubber cup for each finer grit agent.
3. Oral cancer early detection
Oral cancer is a serious disease that can manifest itself in many ways. Without knowing the signs of its early onset, it can threaten your life. Thankfully, in its early stages, oral cancer can be easily treated. You may find it hard to notice oral abnormalities but, your dentist will know this.
4. Regular dental cleaning
A dental cleaning can prevent tartar build up. This will stop your teeth from eroding or having holes in them. Another name for dental cleaning is oral prophylaxis
5. Stop gum disease on its tracks
Plaque and tartar buildup can cause tooth decay. This duo can erode your mouth’s gum tissues. Gum disease usually starts with an infection where the gum connected to the tooth is pulled away. The other name for gum disease is gingivitis. In advance cases, the bone holding the teeth will break down. Gum disease treatment can be costly since this involves deep cleaning, surgery, and medication.
6. Pain or swelling in mouth, face or neck
Pain once it affects your mouth, face and neck can mean a lot of things. Swollen cheeks could make your face rounder and puffy. Sometimes the pain develops over time. At first, you will notice tenderness, itching and tingling sensation. It feels like your mouth is swelling inside the cheek. Pain on the face can be caused by infection and other diseases that affect the skin of the face.
7. Prompt oral damage habits check up
Through regular dental checkup, your dentist can assess oral damage caused by habits like tooth grinding, chewing ice, biting your nails and clenching your jaw. You need to change your lifestyle to prevent further damage.
8. Finding problems that only X-ray can detect
An important part of your visit to the dentist involves teeth and jaw x-ray. These dental images are a reflection of what happens beneath the surface of your mouth. X-rays can diagnose issues that are invisible to the naked eye. Problems such as impacted tooth can be detected with the help of an x-ray.
9. Checking head, neck and lymph node
Once your dentist detects some abnormalities found on the neck, head and lymph node he will alert you and refer you to the right medical specialist for treatment.
10. Categorizing high-risk group
If you belong to the high-risk group, you need to see your dentist more often. You must visit your dentist every three or four months or more.
High-Risk Group Includes:
• Pregnant Women
• Diabetics
• People with gum disease
• People with a weak immune system
• People with plaque or cavities buildup
• Smokers
The Bottom Line
You must look forward to visiting your dentist every six months for a dental appointment. By now you can see the value of having regular dental checkups and cleaning. If you consider the cost of dental treatment or may have some anxiety you should consider the benefits. The risks are worth taking since you will end up paying less. If you allow the tooth decay progress, you might be paying more. For your peace of mind and healthier smile, have a regular visit to your dentist. If you take good care of your teeth and gums, it may take a longer time before the next visit. Ask your dentist the best schedule for your routine dental visit.
