Dentists play a pivotal role in helping us maintain good oral health, yet many people dread going to the dentist. If you’re with the wrong dentist, the consequences can be just as severe as putting off dental healthcare altogether. So, to ensure you’re in safe hands, use the following list to check if your dentist has these six qualities.
1. Good Communication Skills
This may seem obvious, but it has to be mentioned. A dentist deals with many patients throughout the day, so it’s important that they have great intrapersonal communication skills. A dentist has to interact with different people, pay attention to each individual’s needs, and should treat all of them with an equal level of respect and professionalism. Being able to communicate with patients easily is a clear indicator of how good a dentist is.
2. Has Extensive and Up-to-Date Knowledge
Your dental health can affect your entire body. A good dentist should not only be aware of a patient’s dental condition, but they must understand how their condition affects their overall health. To do that, they need to stay up to date with the latest research and medical innovations to suggest a solution that works best for their patients. A good dentist is always learning since the medical field is always developing. In other words, it is crucial for dentists to keep abreast of any new information or technologies that could help their patients maintain their oral health. As the Christchurch, New Zealand-based professionals at boutiquedental.co.nz explain, the right dentist caters to all of their patient’s needs, ranging from simple tooth removal to more advanced procedures and even cosmetic ones. This not only ensures that patients can trust that their dentist will offer the best and most up-to-date treatments for an affordable price, but it also means that the dentist is not letting his mind become stagnate and is constantly learning new information and adopting new techniques.
3. Ensures Education and Involvement of Patients
While it is much easier for a dentist to just go ahead with a treatment he has in mind for a patient without giving much explanation, a good quality to have is transparency and patience. Your dentist should involve you in decisions pertaining to your health by educating you on how to take preventive measures against dental issues, as well as possible treatment plans if you have a pre-existing issue. Patients should know how certain treatments can affect their lives both positively and negatively.
4. Shows Compassion and Honesty
As mentioned above, patients can be very nervous when it comes to dentists, mainly because of previous bad experiences. It is important to show compassion and help patients feel welcome from the minute they enter the dentist’s office until they leave. One of the qualities that a dentist needs to have is being able to put their patients at ease no matter the case. At the same time, a dentist needs to be honest and completely forthright with patients about what to expect. However, if a dentist is honest, but not very compassionate with their patients, they won’t be in business for long.
5. Manual Dexterity
Dentists have a limited space to work with, which means that they need to be extremely precise to avoid causing any problems or misalignment. Manual dexterity is essential especially if a patient requires a serious procedure that needs precision and care. Nowadays, a dentist can utilize different technology to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details. As a patient, you will not feel very safe if a dentist is trying to perform a procedure in your mouth with hands that are not steady. This is why manual dexterity is vital.
6. Problem-Solving Skills
Dentists, like any other doctors, are met with a range of problems that they need to solve for their patients. While most of these issues are repetitive and do not require much flexibility to find a solution, there are some instances in which a dentist has to think outside the box. If a dentist has great problem-solving skills, then this will be a breeze; however, if he or she normally struggles with finding solutions, then they’re not that good of a dentist.
Now that you are aware of the six essential traits that any dentist worth their salt should have, you can easily find out for yourself whether you are going to the right dentist or need to change doctors. Your oral health is important for your overall well-being, and many dental issues are either signs of bigger health problems or can have adverse effects on your body if left untreated. Going to a good dentist will ensure that you get the right treatment to cure and prevent issues down the line. Knowing the qualities of a good dentist will make booking dental appointments much easier.
