Reasons to change dentist

silvercar

I am losing confidence in my dentist, but wondering if I am over reacting.
I have had reason to visit a couple of other dental practices recently and compared to my dentist their equipment seems vastly superior.

1. My dentist has one x-ray machine, situated between the 2 practice rooms, so the patient and dentist move to the machine. The x-ray is then "developed" by the staff and given back to the dentist as a 1 inch square x-ray that the dentist peers at by attaching to to a back - lit board.

Each of the other 3 dentists I have seen have x-rays that display up on a large screen.

Surely a larger screen makes it easier to see the x-ray detail?

2. I was referred to an endontist for a back upper molar tooth where half the tooth had fallen away with a large amalgam filling in the remainder. The dentist said that I should either have it removed or root filled, but that they couldn't do the root filling. They said they would reccomend removal as the easier option. The tooth wasn't causing pain at the time.
They x-rayed and sent the x-ray to the endontist. When I visited the endontist, the endontist said the x-ray didn't show all the root of the tooth so had to be redone. Is this a fundamental error by my dentist? How could they assess if a root filling was needed without seeing all the root x-rayed? As it happens, the endontist got to work and found he could repair and rebuild the tooth without it needing a root filling. Though pleased I was concerned that my dentist couldn't have done an ordinary filling on a back tooth themselves.

3. I have never seen a rubber damm used at my surgery and I have had a root filling done there. Should this concern me?

4. Likewise, the dentist I am thinking of moving to uses a microscope when filling etc so seems to be better equiped. Is this important/ relevant?

5. my current dentist is part NHS part private, though I see him privately. He really is relatively cheap compared to what others pay, but I am now wondering if it is time to invest more in my teeth.

6. I have never been seen by a hygenist at this practice (not sure if they have one).

Thanks for reading. I am grateful for opinions.

bellaboo86

I think the reason you're lacking confidence is enough of a reason to change. Remember you don't owe them loyalty. If you think this other dentist is better, go there. It might well b worth the extra money.

justme111

Yes a few of the things you listed would be good enough reason to change.

michaels

Two thoughts
Just like with car mechanics, as a 'layman' you are in the hands of 'experts' who decide what treatment is best and of course the financial incentive for the supplier is to do as much as possible
If one of your customers had concerns about how you were serving them would you want them to vote with their feet or explain their concerns to you?

silvercar

michaels wrote: »

Two thoughts
Just like with car mechanics, as a 'layman' you are in the hands of 'experts' who decide what treatment is best and of course the financial incentive for the supplier is to do as much as possible
If one of your customers had concerns about how you were serving them would you want them to vote with their feet or explain their concerns to you?

It is easier to have a discussion with a mechanic than with a dentist.

I did query the X-ray machine being old and was told that x-rays are 2D, so no fancy gadgetry will change that.

Toothsmith

I think the x-ray machine is the least of your reasons to change from the list you gave.

Although I have machines in each surgery here - it was only earlier this year that I bought into digital x-rays. There are pros & cons of both systems. With a good magnifying glass, you can see just as much detail on a film as on a digital image. Some people say the image is better on film - which on a well exposed, and well developed film, this is probably true. On a digital system though, you can manipulate the image a bit to correct exposure problems (Although whether this 'manipulated' image is then accurate is debatable!)

Referring to the endodontist was probably a 'better safe than sorry' referral. How would you have felt about the dentist if he had tried to fix it himself, and it had blown up into an abscess, and - as $ods Law usually kicks in when these things happen, it had struck over a weekend, or whilst you were on holiday?

Using microscopes - obviously the more you can see, the better job you do. Also - the more you can see the better you pick up problems early - so be prepared for your new dentist finding more than your old one!! On the whole - this would probably be a good thing! Personally, I don't have an actual microscope, but I do wear loupes (The glasses with magnifying lenses in the middle). I do do root fillings, but only relatively straightforward ones - although having been qualified a great many years, and being private only my 'straightforward' is probably a bit higher bar than a young graduate working on the NHS! I really don't think I could work without my loupes now.

I always use rubber dam when doing root fillings, and sometimes for other things too if an absolute dry field is required. To my mind - this is the biggest reason you have for changing dentist.

I have hygienists and find them wonderful at cleaning teeth PROPERLY for patients. By my own admission to my patients - I'm only playing at it compared to them. This is often fine if patients do a decent job with a toothbrush themselves, but to really get to grips with the (majority?) of people who don't, then a hygienist is indispensable.

To do good dentistry properly does cost money. There is no way around this. The government doesn't put anywhere near enough money into the system for NHS dentists to offer good dentistry to everyone. What they do get often has to be spread far too thinly.

moneyistooshorttomention

Also - check out what way the hygienist at any other surgery does the cleaning.

What I personally have is done "electronically" (with that spray machine). I was surprised to find my teeth being done by manually scraping with an instrument when I first moved. I hadn't changed my preference. I'd just assumed all hygienists now use that electronic (?) spray machine way of doing it.

Things have been put right since and I am now back to having mine done the normal modern way. I shall be asking, rather than just assuming, if I have to change practice again.

Toothsmith

Again - there are pros and cons of each. Mine tend to do both. Ultrasonic for the big stuff, then hand scale for a nice finish!

Some patients do prefer one and not the other. Mostly preferring just hand scale and not Ultrasonic though.