Even when one considers that here in Guyana, for every practicing dentist there is over 20,000 persons, it is not difficult to appreciate the fact that there could be some problem when the time comes to choose which dentist one should go to. Although many persons have little or no choice when it comes to deciding who their dental practitioner should be since they attend a public clinic, the fact remains choosing a dentist is no small matter these days.

How should you go about choosing a dentist? The convenient one not far from where you live? That would be fine, if you are a gambler. That dentist may be very good; but then he/she may not be. The only thing you know about that practitioner is that he or she is very convenient. Ask a neighbour? Maybe, if the neighbour has had a lot of satisfactory work done for age groups in his family similar to those in yours over an extended period of time, and if you respect his opinion. The only problem with this method is that the combination would appear with the same frequency as that of you winning the Lotto.
Now, dentistry, just like medicine, accounting or law, is a profession. It is not a business, although there are business practices and financial aspects to discuss and employ in the practice of these professions. They are looked upon as being different from a business.
Professional people generally get more respect and more is expected from them. What distinguishes a business from a profession, at least in the eyes of the general public? For one thing, business is characterised by the sentiment of “Let the buyer beware.” In other words, anything the seller can get away with goes. We have consumer protection laws because the consumer needs protection. We have heard about quality control and advertising gimmicks.
A profession should be a field where people of integrity, honesty, trustworthiness and sincerity are retained by the general public. That is not to say that we do not find these admirable qualities in business or business people.
Try asking a dentist to explain his findings in your mouth, the details of treatment, clinical expectations and follow-up visits. Ask about the available options and price of each. Carefully make a mental note of his reaction of your probing questions. Prospective patients should be astute enough to recognise and stay away from dentists who use dentistry more as a business rather than a profession. If your dentist should ever say, “You’ll get the final cost when I’m finished”, beware and don’t fall for that. It is clearly a trap.
The world of dentistry for the layman is an unknown world full of pain, superstition, misinformation and apprehension. It is for this very reason that this author decided to start this column over twenty-two years ago. Since then I have always tried my best to have a weekly publication. My objective is to arm the dental patient with the basic knowledge of dentistry so that they cannot be easily fooled.
The profession becomes culpable whenever there is a general lack on the part of dental personnel to respond appropriately to the patient’s needs while allaying fears and apprehensions. Dentists owe the public for the privileges and financial security they enjoy and must pay with an outgoing concern for their dental well-being.
Your choice of a dentist can affect your dental health for the rest of your life. It should not be a “crisis choice” when you are in pain. At such times you cannot think rationally and make any intelligent choice. If the dentist you get is not your kind of person, thank him, pay him and leave. It will be a lot cheaper in the long run.
Finally, dental care is a two-way street. Each time the machine breaks down, it gets harder and harder to fix, and it will not work quite as well as it did before. If you want success, become a working partner with your dentist. If you find that this is impossible with the dentist you picked, then try another one.
Written By Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART D.D.S