All the Important Qualities of a Good Dentist
What Makes a Good Dentist?
Finding a good dentist can be pretty tricky. After all, many people find the whole experience of going to the dentist somewhat uncomfortable. But that’s what we’re here for today — to define what makes a good dentist.
One important factor is the vicinity of a dentist’s office, so if you’re located in Ravenswood, Andersonville, or Uptown, Chicago, and in need of a family dentist, we can offer Wellness Dental as a recommendation. You can visit and browse their website and learn more.
But, without further ado, let’s go over the good qualities of a dentist, what to look for when choosing one, and the different types of dentists that exist.
Types of Dentists
Often, the first step to finding a good dentist is determining what sort of dentist you actually need. That is why you need to be informed about the different types of dentists, so let’s briefly go over that now.
The various types of dentists include everything from general dentistry to more specialized areas of dentistry. That includes family dentistry, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dentistry, periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial dentistry.
Understandably, these different branches of dentistry deal with different things. Luckily, a good general or family dentist can direct you to a professional suited for your specific problem.
How to Choose the Best Dentist for You
Before we discuss the qualities of a good dentist, we first need to establish what we’re looking for. With that in mind, we shall consider the priorities patients have when on a journey toward good dental care.
Firstly, as we’ve established, many people tend to focus on the vicinity, trying to find the closest dentist in their area. That can also narrow the search since you can look into local dentists in your area and see which dentist office has the best reviews and ratings. You can also ask around and see if your friends and acquaintances have a dental office they’d like to recommend to you.
The second thing, which is, for some, arguably more important than vicinity, is whether the dentist handles family dental care or not. Many people with children find it bothersome to jump from one dental office to another all the time. The perfect solution for those kinds of problems is a family dentist.
A family dental professional will handle the dental needs of the entire household, so you’ll essentially be able to take care of everyone’s problems at the same place and time. That definitely comes in handy.
In this day and age, many people complain about being way too busy for regular dentist appointments, which means they simply can’t make space in their schedule to make a visit to the dentist during the work week.
However, weekends are far less busy for most, which means a Saturday dentist is your perfect solution. This way, your busy schedule won’t get in the way of your dental health. Plus, many general dentists have their dental offices open on Saturdays, and some also work on Sundays. So, finding one shouldn’t present a significant issue.
What Qualities Make a Good Dentist
So, what are those specific qualities that make a dentist good? Well, first off, it’s important to note that we can divide these qualities into practical ones and personal ones.
Now, when it comes to practical qualities, they usually include the following, some of which we’ve already briefly mentioned.
- Location – As we’ve discussed, location is pretty important since it makes the whole ordeal more practical.
- Office Hours – Office hours are also something we briefly touched on. That includes whether or not your dentist of choice is available during days or hours that also work for you.
- Parking Facilities – Many people tend to drive to the dentist, and most, if not all of them, consider finding parking spaces the ultimate hassle, especially if the dental office is located somewhere in the center of a big city. That is why parking facilities with available parking spots are a necessity.
- Accessibility – A dentist needs to be accommodating to the needs of their patient. Whether the patient is disabled, has some other problems, isn’t a native English speaker, and so on. Being able to find your dentist trustworthy and reliable is, ultimately, extremely important.
Personal qualities are the next important thing since it’s these qualities that make trust and reliability possible.
- Good communication – Your dentist should be a good communicator, which also includes being a good listener. They should be able to listen to your concerns and answer your questions, as well as talk you through the process in an understandable and polite manner.
- Compassion – Many people tend to find the whole process stressful and anxiety-inducing. That is why it’s important for a good dentist to be compassionate and empathetic.
- Honesty – A good dentist should always be honest. That means being open and honest about your oral and dental health and the treatments you’re going to need.
What Makes a Bad Dentist
You’re now aware of what to look for, but what should you look out for? What are the signs of a bad dentist? Let’s go through them.
- Unhygienic Dental Practice – First impressions are important, but when you’re choosing a dentist, first impressions are everything. So, if you see flickering lights, and not-so-clean-looking surroundings, that’s a clear sign that you should look further.
- The Dentist – Now, not all bad dentists have nasty-looking dental offices. Some can, in fact, look straight out of an interior design magazine. However, this simply means that you should analyze the dentist themself. See how they treat you and vary if they start recommending procedures right away. If you’re someone who has frequent check-ups and doesn’t have any long-term teeth problems, this can be a huge warning sign.
Discounts – Lastly, we have discounts. It’s true that many dental offices offer discounts from time to time. However, a good dental practice will not need to rely on such tricks all the time. So, if the first thing a dentist does is offer you some kind of discount, that’s your sign to get out of there. After all, it’s never a guarantee that they won’t charge you for it afterward.