Not all dentists are the same
In our insurance-driven world today, many people simply choose their dentist off a list. They assume that a dental cleaning is the same no matter where they go and the cheaper the visit, the better deal they’re getting.
This is just not true.
Each dental practice follows its own clinical philosophy – that drives all their patient care decisions. Frontline and The Center for Public Integrity have recently published two articles regarding Wall Street-owned dental practices that have a questionable approach that suggests the “buyer beware”.
As you are looking for a dentist that follows a conservative clinical philosophy – as opposed to an aggressive one – here are some differences to look for:
Style of Advertising
Does the practice promote steep discounts? or Promote quality care and prevention?
Often, people see ‘free exam’ or ‘free x-rays’ and believe they will receive great value for their hard-earned dollar. If the promotion focuses on steep discounts, then the buyer must assume this income will be earned in other ways. Dentists following a more conservative clinical philosophy often promote their success with prevention (No Decay Clubs and long term healthy patients) and quality care.
Finances
Does the practice lock people into debt? or Offer phased treatment & payment plans?
A dead giveaway for clinical philosophy is how your treatment is financed. If the practice gives you a $5,000+ treatment plan and you feel forced to sign on the dotted line to pay for everything before you leave the consultation room – buyer beware. Dentists following a more conservative clinical philosophy often provide phased treatment so you can pay as you go and never feel ‘stuck’ or like you were talked into something (like dentures) that you may regret later.
Treatment Options
Dentures only? or Several treatment options?
If your dentist tells you the only option is to pull all your teeth and get dentures, seek a second opinion. Rarely is this the only option available. Even for teeth that look badly broken down or discolored, often the bone support is strong – and these are teeth that can be saved. The more teeth that can be saved, the more treatment options available. Dentists that want to provide treatment that meets patient needs usually offer treatment options, so you can choose the treatment that best fits your lifestyle and health.
Ownership
Owned by a private equity firm on Wall Street? or Owned by a local dentist?
This is not always bad – plenty of people work for publicly-held companies, but both dental practices investigated by the Center for Public Integrity were private-equity firms. Local ownership means that the dentist and staff create the guidelines and philosophy that fit the community – not just told what to do by someone sitting in New York City whose motivation is to make money to hit Wall Street forecasts.
Dentures
Made in-house? or Designed by a dentist and created by a quality lab?
Dentures provided ‘off the shelf’ will never fit as well as custom-fit dentures. Dentists that follow a conservative clinical philosophy know how difficult it is to provide a quality denture that will fit for (hopefully) the rest of your life. To increase the chance for success, these dentists will design your denture with specific instructions and a quality lab will create the denture customized for your exact mouth. An average dental lab charges approximately $350 to create a custom set of dentures for a dentist – so if you’re seeing dentures advertised for $250 – buyer beware.
Complaints to State Board
Many state board complaints? or None?
In one of these articles, the Director of the Ohio State Dental Board was quoted that that last year 140 complaints were against dentists at corporate chains. Consumers can go online https://license.ohio.gov/lookup/default.asp to look up the license for any dentist in the state of Ohio. Simply select Dental Board and enter the dentist name and hit search to pull up the credentialing status of the dentist. By clicking on the credentialing number link, you will see the license and registration information – and if there are any Administrative Actions taken against this dentist by the state board – this shows up in bright yellow. You can follow this bright yellow link to View Documents and read exactly what actions were taken against this dentist.
Longevity of Dentist
Speedy turnover (1-2 years) of dentists? vs. Long term dentist in the community?
In these articles, dentists that worked for these corporate chains in the past, commented that they “just couldn’t do it anymore” worn out from talking people out of their teeth and using high-pressure sales techniques. Ask about the turnover of dentists in the practice – if several dentists have been in and out in just a few short years, then ask why. This is in stark contrast to the community dentist who lives and works in the same city as his patients, running into patients at the local grocery store and serving in volunteer organizations together. The stronger relationships the dentist has in the community, help the dentist to see his patients as friends – rather than an income source. This increases trust and communication for both dentists and patients.
Employee ethics
Required to hard-sell? or Facilitate patient desires?
In these articles, office managers and dentists working for corporate chains felt that they would lose their job if they did not hit their goals. This leads to the complaints of patients being overcharged or given unnecessary treatments. Dentists following a conservative clinical philosophy generally work hard to listen to their patients to understand their needs and desired – and then to craft treatment options that may fit. The patient should be able to choose treatment that makes sense and discuss the pros and cons and alternatives available.
To read the articles published this week by Frontline & the Center for Public Integrity:
Written by: Dr. Charles Smith & Jill Nesbitt, HealthPark Dentistry
937-667-2417
www.healthparkdentistry.com
For other hints & tips on How to Choose a Dental Office:
http://healthparkdentistry.com/about/how-to-choose-a-dental-offic/
