Your Guide To Choosing The Right Dentist
Your dentist provides you with a service
Your dentist provides you with a service. Some of the bill may include a cost for the material use for a filling, veneer or injection but mainly you are paying for the service and the dentists time. Important factors which also apply to all other services are:
* Customer service is especially important for a dentist.
* The quality of the service provided.
* The availability of the dentist to provide the service
* The cost
* The delivery of the service
* Aftercare.
Availability of the dentist means how difficult it is to get an appointment with a dentist. This includes getting in for regular check ups, for scheduled treatment and getting access in emergency situations when you are in pain.
The cost will vary from dentist to dentist as they can charge what they like. If your dentist is NHS then some stuff they will do free if the NHS is willing to pay for it. Other stuff some dentists will ask you to pay extra for. For example if you want your filling to be white instead of black this may cost extra depending on the size of the filling.
Customer service is important and includes the dentist, his support staff and reception. It includes how nice they are, how comfortable they make you feel, how hard it is to contact them by email or telephone, how well they explain procedures you require and how good their internal communication is. Poor internal communication can result in you trying to explain why you the dentist has requested you come in for another appointment or why you cant have a certain appointment because its too soon after a particular procedure. Also customer service includes the environment you are in which usually comprises of reception, a waiting room, maybe a toilet and the dentists room.
The actual quality of the final service provided is very important. For example how well does the filling prevent a cavity from developing, how long does the filling last for and how does it look and feel in the mouth.
The delivery of the service relates to customer service but includes the amount of pain and length of procedure you have to endure. A more skilled dentist may be more painless and quicker.
Aftercare relating to the follow up of any work done including check ups and clear instructions on anything you are required to do.
Those are all the things you need to consider when comparing and choosing a dentist. How much weight you give each factor will depend on you and how you assess each factor is another point worth discussing.
If you get very anxious about going to the dentist then customer service, the environment and the delivery of the service will be very important for you. You can ask people you know who have used that dentist and you can check out their website to see how much emphasis they put on patient care.
If you are looking to spend a lot of money on additional cosmetic surgeries such as teeth whitening then the quality of this type of service is very important.
Cost may be important if money is tight and you arent covered by the NHS. Alternatively you are covered by the NHS but you want extra cosmetic surgeries then cost is important. Typically you will have to go and see the dentist before they can give you an accurate quote for the work.
If you call a dentist you are considering using then how long it takes them to answer the phone and how helpful and knowledgeable the receptionist is are indicators in to customer service and how busy they are. Their website will also help you form a view. You can also check if they have a feature where clients can log on via the internet to get information.
A lot of the time you will need to go with your gut instinct and dont be afraid to call around and get quotes before choosing a dentist. If they arent willing to make an effort to make you a patient they arent going to make much effort once you are on board.
by: Gary Bonsu
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