Carlsbad Dental Blog

Going to the dentist is never an easy thing for a child. For many people, going to the dentist as an adult isn’t much fun either. No matter how much we know the dentist and their staff is there to help us keep orally fit, people sometimes avoid going to the dentist as often as they should due to worries about pain. Just the idea of letting a person poke around one’s mouth with metal probes is enough to give many adults pause and freak out young children.

The Real Issue is Pain
Dentists are still associated with pain. The cliché image of a dentist who is enjoys almost torturing their hapless clients is deeply ingrained in our media. Sadly the truth is there is a small amount of discomfort which comes with having one’s teeth inspected, cleaned or having dental treatment done. Yet is there truly painless dental care out there? Here are six things to research when looking for a new dentist.

The Office: Lately there has been a increase in ‘Gentle Dental’ offices springing up all around the country. While these sort of franchised dental offices benefit from having access to more money for training and equipment, their business model is just that: a business. Thus they are going to be looking to maximize their profits by getting people in and out.

Personalized Care: Lots of things in life are a lot easier to deal with when you know what is going on and what to expect. A dental office where everything is explained and questions are answered goes a long way towards painless dental care due to less stress. So much of the actual problems in the dental chair is stress of not knowing what is going on.

The People: Having dental professionals who are skilled in interpersonal skills can be just as important to painless dental care than having the most current skills in dentistry. A good, long-term relationship with one’s dentist makes them more like family which keeps stress down and even children are more likely to accept care with less objection.

The Technology: New technologies like digital radiography do away with the painful bite-wing x-rays of the past. New polymer fillings are stronger and are easier to put in makes the visit shorter and less stressful. Knowing if the practice is up-to-date is key to finding painless dental care.

Mission Statement: It is always good to see what a prospective dentist says their purpose is. While it may seem a movie cliché out of the film Doc Hollywood, many dentists are in it to help people and it shows in office, their website and in their comments of their clients if one just takes the time to look.

Internet Search: Be sure to check internet resources and look at sites like the American Dental Association's website. There are many online resources which rate good (and bad) dentists which can really help pin down the dentist who can make painless dental care a very real thing for you and your family.

Reason Four: Less Competition
With such a vast pool of potential clients who will rarely stay more than four years, dentists in Oceanside may not keep their equipment as up to date as possible, or seek out new training because military dental care may be behind civilian care. Thus the bar is set very low and not much effort is needed to keep such clients happy. However this translates to less intrusive procedures using the newer technologies. It also means the dentist and their staff may not be up on all the latest techniques and training either.

Reason Five: It’s All about You
Having lots of clients may lead to apathy. Why concentrate on quality when one can make lots of money on quantity? While this might make business sense for practices with this mindset, your family's oral health should be all about quality. You and your family should not suffer because a dentist in Oceanside has a business strategy that focuses on quantity. Consider widening your search in order to find a dentist committed to quality, personal care.

One of the main responsibilities of a parent is to provide a healthy and stable environment for their children. An important part of this job is to find the right dentist for your kids. While a family doctor is important, mostly doctors are seen when something has gone wrong like a broken ankle after a spill on the trampoline. Your family dentist, however, is there to help teach, to observe as well as to treat. But what are the traits in a good kids dentist in Carlsbad? What should you be looking for past the flashy ads and on-line claims? Here are four traits one should look for.

Family Oriented
Childhood is a busy time 'orally' speaking, and so your child and his dentist (and his staff!) will see each other a lot. Therefore it is important that not only is he and his staff competent but also personable. So much of what dentists do in the form of mentoring can only truly work as long as the child feels comfortable around them. Sadly even with newer, less invasive dental technology, going to the dentist can be scary for a child. Being able to not only put the child at ease but be seen as part of their extended family is important. While most people don’t like going to the dentist, it is important they don’t mind seeing the dentist themselves.

Mentoring
Dentists get more chances to interact with your child than doctors so they get more chances to teach them proper oral hygiene. Dentistry is all about preventative care and so early exposure to the right techniques is critical. More importantly your child has to feel the dentist is a friend of the family so they'll listen. All of this applies to the dentist’s staff. Since so much of the cleaning and checking of teeth is done by the various dental hygienists, their ability to bond with your child can be just as important as the relationship with the dentist.

Unflappable
Children can be cantankerous, willful and just down-right surly and having a toothache can make them even more so. Worse is before your child is seen, the dentist may have seen a veritable parade of such cranky children that day. A dentist who is able to be cool, professional and personable in the face of child after child and still able to give your child the attention they deserve is the dentist you want for your family.

Flexible
Health-care providers often act as if they are doing you a favor by scheduling an appointment for you. Children, however, do not take well to timetables. They get ill at the worst times and have accidents unexpectedly. This all on top of the normal ups, downs and surprises one has in their adult life. A good dental office is one who is able to work with your schedule and knows emergencies come up and life happen and not punish you for cancellations. The ability to work through life’s emergencies with a smile is a trait worth looking for.