715-352-2700You make decisions every day. From the simple, what clothes to wear, what to make for dinner, all the way to life decisions that effect the rest of your life. We’d like to think choosing your dentist falls into an important category! Taking your health seriously is something we take serious *insert serious face here*. We’ve already helped you determine The 7 Tips When Choosing Dentist – which will help give you the tools to find the best fit for YOU. But what exactly makes a GREAT dentist? Sure location and insurance can help steer your initial decision, but having a great dentist isn’t as common as you’d think. We have asked around and think these 4 qualities.
1. Listens To the Patient
This is #1 for a reason. Every patient’s mouth is unique and every issue and case within it is different. A great dentist will take the time to hear your concerns, read your chart carefully and strategize the best treatment for you.
2. Trustworthy
This is comparable to trips to the mechanic. Just like you don’t know everything that is happening under your hood, you don’t know exactly what is going on in your mouth. Putting your trust into these professionals is a scary thing. You want to know that you’re not getting taking advantage of and that your dentist is doing the best treatment for your budget and well-being.
3. Kind
Being ‘kind’ may seem like a no-brainer…I mean…everyone likes a nice person, but you may be surprised just how hard it is sometimes to find a doctor, or anyone for that matter, who is passionate about their career and is kind to others on a daily basis.
4. Skill
So up until now if you’re a very genuine and caring person you may be thinking, “Hey, I could be a dentist?!” But the last key quality is skill – you need a doctor that can listen to the patients needs and then be able to follow through with the best treatment. Just like with any job, there are variations of skill. You can get the nicest person ever, but if they end up pulling the wrong tooth or diagnosing you incorrectly, I guarantee you will be upset! Every doctor has their preferences, specialties and even their own techniques. You may think that the longer they’ve been practicing equals to more qualified or on the opposite spectrum, you may think new doctors are more aware of newer technology and methods. Both theories hold merit and we are fortunate enough at Szmanda Dental to have all of the above and in between.
This combo put together makes for a GREAT dentist! At Szmanda Dental Center, we pride ourselves on picking the best of the bunch. Being locally owned and not corporate helps us stay true to these small town values and putting the patient first. If you are a new patient or looking to switch dentists, it’s hard to know these qualities just from an ad. We suggest asking your friends or with the magical power of the internet you can learn from other people’s experiences.