Few people consider their dentist their favorite person, but your dentist should at least be in your top five. If not, you need a new one. Find one with the following qualifications, and your new dentist may make the top three.
1. Personable: You may not be lying down, but you are reclining in a chair, so your dentist should have a good bedside manner. That means that he or she makes you feel comfortable and relaxed, not the opposite. Like others in the medical profession, your dentist should like helping people stay healthy, and you should be able to tell!
2. Perceptive: A good dentist will fill the office with great staff. The staff should be consistently friendly, prompt, and gentle.
3. Empathetic: Every employee at your dentist’s office— from the receptionist to the head dentist— should understand that many people are apprehensive at the prospect of seeing a dentist. They should all work hard to alleviate such fears.
4. Flexible: Your dentist should be open to many different options, costs, and procedures. If you don’t feel like your dentist is working with you to offer care that will fit you and your needs, then search elsewhere.
5. Diligent: You don’t want a dentist who is too easy-going, however. Your dentist should be meticulous and conscientious, following rules and procedures at all times.
Word of Mouth is sponsored by Midtown Dental.
CREDIT
column by DR. WILLIAM NERESTANT, DDS
BIO: Dr. William Nerestant, DDS received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Detroit/Mercy School of Dentistry in Michigan. After serving and being recognized for his meritorious service in the Air Force as an officer in the Dental Corps, he currently serves patients at Midtown Dental in Lakeland. For more information, visit www.mymidtowndental.com or call (863) 226-0987.