Questions to ask BEFORE Choosing a Kennesaw Dentist
 | Questions to ask BEFORE Choosing a Kennesaw Dentist
Kennesaw Dentist The purpose of this report is to help you choose the right dental office for your care. Not all Kennesaw Dentists are the same. The type of services provided, the quality of care, the philosophy of care, and financial policies can vary widely from office to office. I hope this report will guide you to an office that meets your needs. 1) What services do you provide? Some offices are specialty offices – oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, for example. These offices are limited in the scope of services they provide to their specific specialty. Most people want to see a general dentist for their routine dental needs. This dentist may then refer their patients to the specialty practice for certain procedures. Different general dental practices vary in the services that they provide as well. You should ask about your specific concerns: Does the practice provide cosmetic services; treat children, do implants, dentures, etc. At my office, we provide a wide range of services and are glad to refer you to another office if you need specialized care. 2) Do you do a thorough initial examination and consultation? You may have priority needs – pain or infection – that require immediate attention. But one of your first few visits should include a thorough screening for all potential dental problems. There is much research to show the correlation of dental health with your overall health – areas such as heart disease, diabetes, low birth rates. There are many dental problems that cause little or no pain or other symptoms until they become serious and expensive to treat. It is imperative that your dentist provide a thorough examination and consultation regarding your conditions and you should expect such treatment even though you are not aware of any problems. Many of the “high volume” practices are unable to provide this level of care and focus more on treatment of pain than prevention and education. 3) Do you provide preventative services? For me, this is one of the most important questions to consider, but it is the most difficult question to answer because it relates more to the philosophy of the dentist. I have seen many patients over the years who have had thousands of dollars worth of dentistry done and re-done and it is failing again. With many of these patients no one has ever taken the time to educate them about how to care for their investment and prevent future problems. It is sad. Once I was showing a new patient, who had a history of gum surgery, how to floss and she began to cry. When I questioned her, she was so upset because she had gone through gum surgery three times and no one had ever shown her how to floss correctly. She had been doing it incorrectly all these years – thus her gum problems had continued. Prevention includes such services as periodic cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, and necessary x-rays, as well as education about your specific dental problems and concerns. 4) Will you explain my treatment options and give me your recommendations in writing? Not everyone is the same. There may be different treatment options for your problems. Different patients have different goals, priorities, and expectations. Your dentist should take the time to not only get to know you and what your goals are, but to provide you with different options for treatment, the pros and cons of each, and make appropriate recommendations. They should be able to provide you with a timetable for treatment and an estimate of expense. 5) Can you provide references? A successful and ethical practice should be able to provide references from satisfied patients and other healthcare professionals in the area. Also, there should be documentation of some of their past treatment cases in the area of cosmetic dentistry. 6) What are the financial policies of the office? The office staff should be able to provide you with information regarding how insurance claims are handled, maximizing your benefits, what payment options are available, and what, if any, financing plans are available. I hope this information helps you in choosing a dental office that fits your specific needs. And, of course, I hope you will consider our office. We provide a wide range of services from basic maintenance to full mouth rehabilitation and extreme dental makeovers. We accept traditional insurance plans and if you happen to be on a plan where you are given a limited ‘list’ of preferred providers, you can still elect to see us. We have many patients who value our comfortable atmosphere and superior level of service and choose to go outside their assigned network of dentists. Our staff can help you with any concerns. Financing options are available through our office. If I cannot provide the services you need, I am happy to refer you to the appropriate professional. We strive to educate our patients so you can receive quality treatment, protect the investment in your oral health, and minimize future problems and expenses. We try to provide these services in a relaxed, comfortable, and fun atmosphere. We are not a high volume “clinic”. My staff and I attend numerous advanced continuing education courses each year to stay abreast of all the new developments in dental technology. With this philosophy, many of my patients achieve a level of oral health where they need minimal care other than periodic maintenance. This means I need a steady source of new patients who desire the level of care and quality of service we provide. Feel free to call our office at 770-429-8989 with any questions or concerns you may have. We also have free reports on other topics – Raising Cavity-Free Kids, Cosmetic Dentistry, and Implant Dentistry – that we are happy to provide to you. Our goal is to take care of your needs in such a way that you will be happy to refer your family and friends to our office as well. Call today – 770-429-8989. Dr Reese for your Kennesaw Dentist and Acworth Dentist Kennesaw Dentist |
