The state of your gum and teeth affects your confidence to smile. Because of the positive visual impact of healthy teeth and gums, it is imperative to choose a dental clinic that offers quality medical care, regardless of the dentistry required to ensure you can remain confident about your appearance, while also enjoying pain-free chewing.
Journey with us through the essential factors to consider in choosing a dentistry facility. In this article, we look at what people value most in their choice of dentist, which services should be offered, the importance of accessibility and where to find a dental facility that fits the profile.
What do people consider as the most important when they visit a dentist?
Some aspects of medical care are more important than others for each person, but a supportive environment, preventative approach and communication have been noted as important in choosing a clinic by many patients across several studies. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Supportive care environment
According to the conclusions of a recent qualitative study performed in Australia on how patients experience the care they receive at dentists, patients give priority to the level of support and care given by the dentistry team. The results show that patients value such care. The conclusions also indicate that supportive care helps patients to manage their oral health better. The study discussion reveals that patients value friendly and emphatic treatment and that such treatment gives them confidence in their healthcare professionals. This emphasises the importance of professional and open communication between the medical practitioner and patient’s relationships.
When you look for a clinic, consider the testimonials of other patients regarding the friendliness, communication and supportive attitude of the dentist, oral hygienist and related health professionals at a particular healthcare group. Having professionals committed to quality care and listening to their patients regarding their oral care helps to develop trust in the abilities of the medical team.
As can be seen from the results of the study, with such a supportive dental care environment, you get to improve the control you have over your oral care. Your oral health improves because your dentist considers your specific care requirements.
2. Structured prevention approach
What the study also reveals is that patients receiving care through a structured prevention approach experience improvement in their oral conditions. A second factor to consider is thus whether or not the clinic provides for a structured prevention protocol to help you maintain good oral health. With better care for your teeth and prevention methods rather than focussing just on resolving issues, you will need fewer invasive procedures to rectify dental or oral conditions.
Choose a clinic where the healthcare professionals are committed to helping you retain a brilliant smile instead of just opting for the shortest route to solve a problem. If it is possible to keep a tooth without invasive procedures and ensure proper oral health, you will want the dentist to provide the care and guidance to achieve it rather than opting for pulling one tooth after the other without consideration of the long-term effects.
3. Clear communication and treatment options
To get back to open communication – you want to make an informed decision. This entails being able to discuss your current routine care with the healthcare professional. You want guidance and a treatment plan explained in understandable terms. This includes giving you options and discussing the risks, benefits and disadvantages of each option.
However, to provide you with treatment options and information to help you decide, the dental professional must be able to properly examine your condition. This can only be possible if the dentist, specialist or oral hygienist has access to the required equipment to help with the diagnoses and prognosis process. This brings us to the fourth important factor in choosing a dental clinic.
4. State-of-the-art facilities
Modern and working equipment is essential in performing many of the dentistry functions. X-rays for one, help the dentist to see what a normal visual inspection cannot reveal. Without access to such technology, it is possible that an underlying factor can be missed, which can affect the success of a particular treatment option. This is only one example of the type of technology required. If you need prosthetic teeth, you will want the health professional to have access to a technician and lab to ensure the prosthetic teeth can be made to fit perfectly according to the required colour match you need.
5. Accessibility of the dental clinic
More often than not, patients suffer pain for days on end, simply because they cannot get appointments with their dentists. When choosing a dentist or clinic, you want the assurance that you get to see the relevant healthcare professional within a reasonable time. If you suffer immediate pain, you will want to know that you can find a practitioner to help you at least within 48 hours.
A study performed on the expectations of patients regarding emergency dentistry services reveals that patients often want reassurance and information as much as they need pain relief and immediate treatment. With this in mind, choose a dental clinic where you can receive quality, supportive and information-based help, as well as a high standard of medical care.
Where to find a dental clinic that fits the profile?
These factors are not unreasonable. In fact, you have the right to quality care, the upholding of your integrity, ethical conduct by the practitioner and to receive care when needed. This is possible when you choose a dental clinic that has a national footprint, offers the convenience of online booking, and has an extensive network of healthcare professionals to provide the necessary supportive care you need. Intercare fits the profile perfectly and here’s why:
To conclude
Choose a clinic based on factors such as accessibility, quality of care, treatment options, facilities offered, availability of care, supportive environment, open communication channels, and understanding of your particular care requirements.
Get the care you deserve to maintain your dental health. Use our convenient online booking system to schedule an appointment at one of our clinics today.