If you read our last blog entry and unnecessary treatment is one of your big fears, there are lots of ways to help you overcome your fear and become an informed dental consumer.
Remember that your mouth and your health is your responsibility, you should work closely with a team that you trust and are comfortable with to ensure you are in great oral health. Your dentist and his/her team should be expert advisors, whose task is to help you make the best choices.
Your dentist should be happy to explain to you:
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why they are suggesting the treatment
- what the treatment is and how it works
- what alternatives and choices exist (including potential consequences of not having the treatment)
- what the pros and cons of available treatment options are
- what treatment they would choose for themselves if they had the same problem
It is necessary for your dentist to explain and discuss things with you, in a language you can understand. Only then can the two of you reach a joint treatment decision based on informed consent. Informed consent is mandatory in the healthcare arena – no one should ever ask you to committ to a treatment that you don’t fully understand.
Helpful Tips to Make the Best Choices:
- The best way to find a good dentists you can trust and like is by word-of-mouth. If you’re worried about unnecessary treatment, try and find out what others think of their dentist. Is their dentist honest and trustworthy? Are they happy with the treatment they receive? What sort of philosophy does the dental practice/office have? If they have a website, look out for words like “preventative” (aka “preventive”) or minimally invasive care – this is generally a good sign.
- If your dentist suggests treatment and you’re in any doubt, ask them to show you examples of others and explain why it should be done and how it will be done and why this is the best option for your particular case.
- Your dentist should be able to show you what is wrong using mirrors, x-rays, intraoral photographs or other diagnostic tools Of course, if you’re not ready (yet) to see that type of thing, say so! A good dentists will only share as much information as you are willing to receive.
- If the problem is not readily apparent, for example because it’s something going on inside a tooth, ask your dentist to explain it to you using models or diagrams. This could also be done using a drawing and by describing the problem in simple terms.
- Ask your dentist which treatment (and which materials, if applicable) they would choose for themselves if they had the same problem, and why.
- You should now have a clear understanding of why the treatment was suggested. If you still have good reasons to doubt the recommendation, get a second opinion.
- Make sure you understand the reason behind any treatment you choose.
- If you forgot to ask a question, write it down and ask it the next time you see your dentist or call them with it as soon as you think of it.
It is your right as a patient to decline any treatment you don’t want. And if you have legitimate doubts over a dentist’s treatment suggestions, it would be very wise to get a second opinion.
However, if a dentist reckons that you’re putting your dental health in jeopardy by opposing necessary treatment in the long run, they have the right not to have you as a patient. Also, you cannot sign away your right to proper treatment. Dentists are bound by a code of ethics, and failing to provide proper treatment would get them into trouble with the law.
Dentists who enjoy their work and are committed to providing the best treatment available want their patients to take an active interest in their dental health and treatment decisions. As an active partner in your care, you can ensure that you make the best choices for yourself, with the help and advice from your dentist.
Things to Consider:
- Try and avoid insurance plans like DMO’s or dental discount programs. Both may employ a tactic called “bait-and-switch”. With dental discount plans, the bait is the promise of cut-price treatment. Once you’re in the dental office, the dentist may try and make up the losses by “switching” you to a more expensive or unnecessary procedure. With DMO/HMO, only certain procedures are covered, and it makes sense to recoup the losses resulting from measly pay by suggesting a treatment not covered by the plan (such as crowns). The “bait” is that within the insurance scheme, this is only office the patient can go to. While “bait-and-switch” is only one of the reasons why dental offices participate in these plans, it’s a good idea to be aware of this possibility. Especially if you’re worried about overtreatment. Dentists who don’t participate with any insurance can many times be your best choice – they have only your best interests in mind and are not dictated by insurance companies.
- The dentist suggests replacing any existing fillings with new tooth-colored fillings, as a “cosmetic” measure. All silver fillings will eventually fail, they break down and leak over time – to avoid problems some dentists will recommend replacing old silver fillings on a preventive basis – doing so will many times help you to avoid more costly treatment. However fillings should always immediately be replaced if they’re leaking (that is, if they’re damaged, broken, or have decay around the edges or underneath).
- Although virtually all dentists offer “cosmetic” dentistry these days, you may want to avoid dentists who cannot provide you with information on continued education in cosmetics. True cosmetic specialists log hundreds of hours of continuing education.
Call the office of Dr. Ralph Reilly today – 732.356.9120. Dr. Reilly and his team of trained expert advisors will ensure that you are educated and understand every facet of your care and that you are an informed consumer of dental services.
