Dr. Kunal Patel and Dr. Kailesh Solanki offer some ideas on how to choose the right dentist for you.
If you prefer to read the interview, here is a transcript for you:
Kunal Patel (KP): We are asked all the time how to choose the right dentist for us. Patients come and ask about a certain treatment. But what do they base it on? How do they know that the dentist is the right one for them, what is your opinion?
Kailesh Solanki (KS): It's difficult for the patient. There are so many options now, with so many dentists offering their services on very different platforms. You have social media, ayou will dentists who are very big on Instagram. They're really big on Instagram and they're great dentists on Instagram, but Are they great clinical dentists?
KP: … and does it give you that experience while you're in the chair? Because it's a treatment that's going to last with you, it's not the easiest treatment you can do. I think what we do, what's really essential, is that pThe patient should feel comfortable first, so you need to get to know the dentist.
K.S.: The dentist-patient relationship is essential for everything. The first thing I would tell a patient is: Is that dentist pleasant to you? Do you feel comfortable in his company?
KP: Are they listening to you? Did they really listen to you or will they do the treatment they do a lot on social media? and do they force you to go that path or are they open, generic, with options?
K.S.: Then also, is everything transparent, is the costing transparent? Did you come from a recommendation? Did you come based on word of mouth? Personally, my favorite patients are those who come by word of mouth or from dentists, because I know they're going to trust me from the start. I get a patient from Instagram, I have no problem with that, I'm happy to treat that patient, but ultimately that initial patient doesn't really know me, they don't know what it's all about, they don't understand the level of dentistry that I do and what I can charge for it. All they see is a beautiful picture and then they want that, but it might not be the right treatment for them.
KP: 100 percent. So it's important, go to consultations. Don't book yourself in for treatments directly. Go, talk to dentists about what your opinions are. If you feel like you haven't understood each other, then the dentist will feel the same way and maybe it's not the right connection. Go somewhere else. There's nothing wrong with that. But I think the referral, as you said, is essential. That's the dentist's dream and the patient's dream, because you've seen someone who has achieved a result that you like. That's what we would try.
“Don't just buy based on price, whether it's a high or low price, buy based on what suits you, what you can see visually.”
K.S.: And it's not just about the visual aspect, that recommendation will have different aspects associated with it: the whole experience, the emotional experience, the quality of the treatment or the perceived quality of the treatment by the patient, and happiness. So, based on all three of these things, the recommendation starts if your friends have worked somewhere and they are happy with that work. Then, honestly, that will be the first point of call. Don't just buy based on price, whether it's a high price or a low price, buy based on what suits you, what you can see visually.
KP: Yes, because some people think, "I'll go to the nearest dentist because, you know, dentists are dentists," but tWe have different clinical sets, and clinical skills are essential, so the only way you will know is to look at the portfolio. Not just the Instagram portfolio, but the one in the clinic. Most of us have a good portfolio and a good thing a patient can do is try to match their teeth to the portfolio. Find someone in the portfolio who matches, who has similar teeth to yours and go for it. Is that the result you want? Because dentists get different results, too. Some dentists want a different look. So don't go to the nearest clinic. If you have to travel it's worth it, your teeth are very important. If a patient is in London and wants to come see me at Kiss Dental here, why not?
K.S.: And it happens routinely. I always tell that patient, “You know, I'm so glad you decided to take this journey.” But I also, equally, want to make sure that this journey is worth it for them 100%.
KP: For example, I have a patient who came back to me at Love Teeth Dental in Sutton from London. They traveled a lot to meet for a consultation somewhere else. But then the dentist said, “Actually, I think there’s someone better suited for your treatment in London.” For example, someone who does more Invisalign, someone who does more with implants, more indirect or direct bonding. So you have to trust the dentist to give you the right recommendations as well. And that’s our job. We have to be able to do that. It's not like we accept just any patient, because we want to know that we're going to do what's right for you as a patient and you can see that. How will you know if that dentist is someone you would recommend to someone else? You'll see that from your friends, from recommendations. If someone recommended this dentist to you, it means they had a good experience, it means they're doing the right thing. The trust is there, right?
“Extensive dentistry requires time, energy, care, maintenance, and knowledge.”
K.S.: Yes. But then on the other hand, I still think there's a place for social media. There's a place for Instagram. I'm not saying don't specifically choose a dentist just based on that. What I'm saying is, if that's what you want to do and you see a result that's, "wow, that's exactly what I want," look into it. Don't blindly go to meet with that dentist, or don't even meet with the dentist. I have patients who contact me countless times and say, “I just want to make an appointment for treatment,” and I say, “Wow, you need a consultation first. You need to come see me, I need to make sure that any treatment you’re interested in is appropriate.” Unfortunately, we now have dental tourism. A lot of people go abroad and do exactly that: they don’t have a consultation, they make an appointment specifically for treatment, they go to a dentist they don’t know anything about, and they get extensive dentistry. What they don’t understand is that extensive dentistry takes time, energy, care, maintenance, and knowledge. Unfortunately, when you do dental tourism, For example, whether you're travelling to London from Manchester or whether you're travelling from Manchester to Turkey, there should be the same level of care. There still needs to be, and that's the problem I find with an open dentistry forum now, because patients have so many options but are so poorly informed.
KP: In conclusion, to find the right dentist for you, meet the dentist. Don't be afraid to meet with more than one person. Find someone you can relate to, who will explain the treatment to you in a way you can understand for the benefits, and who will also give you different options, their pros and cons.
“When you find a dentist, find one who does all kinds of treatments and who will be open to referring you to someone else if needed.”
K.S.: Pros and cons are important, not everything is rosy. Treatments have their advantages and disadvantages and you should be informed about that. You see a portfolio, you like the person who will eventually do your treatment. What else can you rely on? Then you have to trust that person and hope. And it's not just about hope. There is a high level of skill to achieve that end result. And it is done very well in this country. We, as dentists, produce very good results for our patients.
KP: We are very well regulated, probably more so than most professions out there, so feel confident in consulting a dentist, it is our professional duty to provide you with the right care. But there is also the flip side of the coin, where many dentists go down the path of doing what is “this cool treatment to do now.” So when you are looking for a dentist, find a dentist who does all kinds of treatments and who will be open to referring you to someone else if needed.
KS: Sometimes dentists may not want to do a certain treatment. That doesn't mean that that treatment isn't right for the patient. They just don't feel comfortable doing it, which is fine, but then be honest as a dentist, be honest with the patient and say, "I still think you're a good fit, it's not just something I do or don't do a lot. However, there's this guy I know who does a lot and who produces some beautiful results. So go ahead and go see him. That's a recommendation or information, but from a dentist. There are many aspects to this question, I hope I've answered some of them.
KP: There is no right answer to going down. I think Life is about an experience, a pleasant experience. Go there, you have waited so long. Most patients have waited quite a long time to make this decision for treatment, when they do it right. Don't rush and don't just follow a trend. Choose the right dentist thoroughly. He is the one you should choose (pointing at Kailesh Solanki).
Source: enlightensmiles.com
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