Good Dentists and Bad Dentists
The medical field in the US would appear to have uniformity in the minds of most people. People expect their doctor to have several years of education, residency, and practice under their belt before they become a doctor. From there, they would expect them to stay up on the latest in medicine and their field of work. People also believe that doctors are similar in their work, providing focus, precision, and a unique craft.
To the surprise of many – there is not uniformity in the quality of medical care provided. This is also true when it comes to dentistry. We are not referring to a third-world country, another state, or even another city. Right here in the Sacramento area there are dentists and dental staff providing subpar care to their patients.
Why do some dentists provide low-quality care? Some received an inadequate education or have not made the required efforts to maintain or excel at dentistry. Others, hire unprofessional, untrained, or otherwise inadequate staff to support their practice. Then there are dentists that reduce the quality of care provided because they offer reduced pricing or are unethically focused on profit instead of patient care.
It can be difficult to know if you have a good dentist. Even more difficult to know if you have one of the best dentists.
One bad experience with a teeth cleaning doesn’t make a dental practice a bad one. You can look at the experience in its entirety to get a sense of which dentists are good and which are bad.
Some qualities of a good dentist:
- An easy way to learn about the practice and contact them: A website with details about their practice and different ways to contact them (telephone, email, social media).
- When speaking with their front office staff they are friendly, easy to talk with, and are open to explaining things.
- The staff and dentist are able to answer all of your questions regarding the practice, treatments, costs and insurance, and others.
- They are transparent about what to expect physically from treatment.
- They are up-front about costs.
- The office is clean and organized.
- The dentist and staff are friendly, honest, compassionate, and helpful.
You should always ask questions about your dentist’s background, schooling, maintenance training, and how long the practice has been in business.
A great dentist will meet all of these qualifications and leave you feeling like there were no negative surprises during the process.
You can find one of the best dentist in Sacramento right in the neighborhood without having to scour the internet. Dr. Stefanie Shore has been practicing in the east part of Carmichael (west part of Fair Oaks) for over 15 years. If you listed the qualities you imagine of a great dentist Dr. Shore and her practice will exceed that list. Her practice provides something more, which is why her patients, their families, and their friends come and keep coming. We invite you to do your own evaluation. The staff are always happy to answer any questions. You can even visit the office to speak with Dr. Shore.