How To Choose A Dentist Intellegently

It is an unfortunate fact of life that most people spend less effort in researching and selecting a dentist than they spend in selecting a hairstylist or gardener. In fact, the process need not be either difficult or time consuming as long as one understands certain important principles.

A dentist is a highly trained, skilled professional. Not all dentists are the same however. They differ by virtue of their education, training, experience, specialty, and yes, skill and ability. A lay person is usually in no position to evaluate or properly critique a dentist’s credentials or skill level. It is a shame then that the vast majority of lay persons make the decision as to who will treat them by either getting a recommendation from a similarly uninformed friend or relative, or by finding someone on their dental insurance provider list.

There exist several heavily media advertised dentist referral services such as 1-800-D*****T, promising you referral to a pre-screened dentist. What they are not telling you is that their screening consists mostly of determining whether or not there is a geographical territory conflict with another of their dentist-clients, whether the applicant can pay the $1200.00 or more per month fee to belong to the service, and whether the dentist has an active license to practice. There is little or no screening conducted on the basis of credentials, malpractice status, or ability, and the choice of dentists is severely limited to only those paying the [rather hefty] advertising fee in a particular geographical area. Also, don't be sucked in by tooth whitening ads such as 1-800-B****S***E. These are also just general dentists with no extraordinary skills or qualifications who are paying for the ads using tooth whitening as the gimmick to attract new patients.

There is good news however. There are easily accessible sources for informed referrals. Perhaps the best source is another dentist, preferably a specialist such as a periodontist, oral surgeon, orthodontist or endodontist. These specialists see the work of a great many general dentists who refer to them. They have the necessary knowledge to judge skill and ability. In most cases they or their staff will be happy to talk to you and give you a referral. You can even ask them who their own dentist is.

Another excellent source for referral is your local component of the American Dental Association. In the case of our geographical area, that would be the Orange County Dental Society. All ADA members subscribe to the ADA Code of Ethics, which assures a higher ethical standard of care than even the law requires, and provides for peer review adjudication of any problems between the member dentist and the patient, resulting in timely, fair, lawyer-free settlements. You should strongly reconsider your decision if your chosen dentist is not an ADA member.

If you have the type of dental plan, such as an HMO or PPO, that limits your choice to its participating members, be very, very careful. In many cases, where your dental needs are small, such as periodic cleaning and an occasional restoration, you would be better served to go to the dentist of your own choice and pay the expenses out of pocket rather than take the chance of receiving inferior care. Just remember, dental care that costs you nothing is probably worth just that, nothing.

Finally, whenever possible, try to get a full copy of the prospective dentist’s credentials or "Curriculum Vitae". You can also check with the California State Dental Board for the dentist’s record of any violations or any large malpractice judgments. If you are to be an informed consumer of dental care, you must first be armed with the information. If you do this, you can eliminate many possible problems in the future.