White Dental – Constructing A Partnership With Your Dentist

Thanks so much for all the wonderful responses to last month’s interview! I wanted to start our third year with talking about partnerships in dentistry. Let’s begin with a comparison. Pretend I’m building a house. Since I know nothing about the process, I partner with a contractor recommended by a friend. I prefer a modest home to live in, 10 or more years requiring maintenance work, and the occasional repair or esthetic improvement. It’s going to be a solid, satisfying, and comfortable home. My contractor and I first lay a foundation. A lot of work goes into that foundation and it’s mostly unseen! Think on that for a second – if the foundation isn’t there, my house is pre-destined to have some problems. Our primary goal in dentistry is to establish a partnership with patients so the foundation of their dental care – home care, recall interval for professional maintenance, and restorative care – is established and maintainable.

Why is this so important in establishing a partnership with a dentist? Our relationships should last alot longer than building a home! With solid foundations, dentists can restore decay, replace lost teeth, cosmetically improve a smile, or repair broken teeth and fillings. Our intent is to help patients make informed choices, there are so many! Frequently, the best available option for both the doctor and the patient is chosen – this is practicing ideal care and successful outcomes are predictable. Other times we help the patient make the best choice for them. This may not be the dentist’s preferred choice, but it is one he or she can accept and perform with confidence in achieving maintainable results. By seeing areas of concern, understanding options, and choosing with our guidance, we are affording the patient the appropriate level of autonomy. We enjoy building new partnerships every week at White Dental Studio, and I feel very strongly that a good doctor-patient partnership leads to successful results and a healthier patient. Do you like our approach? Please give us some feedback and check us out online or give us a call to set up a visit.