Why a GREAT Dentist is Very Opinionated
Most dentists spend 3/4 of their day staring at teeth. We obsess over the precise position and angles of your teeth. We eat, sleep, and breathe teeth.
We went to school for years to learn all about teeth. We’re always reading about new techniques and discoveries and research… about teeth.
And, of course, you want a dentist who takes your teeth seriously and knows what he or she is doing!
But!
Sometimes we dentists make the mistake of thinking that YOU want to know EVERYTHING about teeth…just like we do!
Which means we love to EDUCATE. And give you lots of facts.
And technical details.
And options upon options upon options.
We forget to cut through all the confusing details and give you a CLEAR RECOMMENDATION.
A good Ancaster dentist will give you all the options.
But a GREAT dentist will go one step further and strongly recommend ONE option.
And the reasons they give for recommending that option should be based on what’s important to YOU, and your priorities. And they can only know those priorities if they talked to you about them before making the recommendation.
Lots of options, without a clear recommendation based on your priorities only lead to confusion.
And many patients end up choosing something that does not fit their “smile goals.”
They pick the cheapest…or the one covered by insurance…
And then they’re back at the dentist a year later wondering why it didn’t work out!
Smart patients know that the BEST way to make the BEST decisions for their health is to find a dentist in ancaster they can TRUST. A dentist who will explain all the options, but make a clear recommendation based on YOU.
Think of it like your favourite server at your favourite restaurant. Instead of handing you a menu and saying, “Pick something,” they recommend something that they KNOW you will enjoy. And if they REALLY know you…you will!
If a server only recommended the most expensive item…or the least expensive… or the daily special…every time you went… would you trust them? No. You know they are recommending the same dish to every table they serve tonight. Their recommendations are not based on what YOU like.
A great dentist knows that you are free to make whatever choice you think is best for your health. But we also understand how confusing and overwhelming it can be.
A great dentist spends LESS time describing the technical details of each and every option… and MORE time asking questions to understand YOU
- What do YOU want for your teeth?
- What are YOU worried most about?
- What are YOUR priorities?
Once your dentist understands where you are now… and where you want to go… then they can make a CLEAR RECOMMENDATION about how we can best go from HERE to THERE.
In my career, I have recommended completely different plans of action for the SAME exact situation for different patients. Because I knew that the patients all had different priorities and desires.
So beware of any dentist who:
- Leaves you with a list of options and then makes it YOUR responsibility to choose
- Makes “boilerplate” recommendations
- Makes recommendations that might be great for your TOOTH…. But not as great for YOU.
Instead, do this: Find a Family dentist you trust.
How do you know you can trust him or her?
- Do they take the time to get to know you – your worries, your values, and your priorities? Or do they just talk about teeth all the time?
- Do they take time to make clear recommendations? Or do they leave you “dazed and confused” about which you option you should choose?
Your mouth is important. Smiling, eating, talking…most of the joys of life revolve around your mouth! Don’t trust it to someone who isn’t interested in what YOU want.
Are you open to seeing if we are a good fit to work together? If so, click here (link to contact) to get started.
The dirty little secret I’d like to share with you today is that your insurance is not doing stuff for YOU. I get a lot of clients who tell me “Oh, my insurance doesn’t cover that because it’s cosmetic”, or “My insurance doesn’t cover this because of this”.
Your insurance doesn’t cover stuff because it’s not profitable for them. It doesn’t mean that you don’t need it. So, when your dentist recommends a crown and the crown is not covered, it doesn’t mean that it’s not needed or the insurance doesn’t feel that it’s needed, It’s that is not covered in your plan because the insurance doesn’t want to invest the money in it and it’s not profitable for them.
You need to kind of step away from that insurance mindset because the insurance is not looking out for your best interest! If you get a recommendation from your cosmetic & implant dentist and it doesn’t match up with what’s covered by your insurance plan – Do not fall into that trap! Like I said, the insurance is not there for you, they do not care about you, they’re focused on the profitability of the plan. That is a dirty little secret that I’m glad I got out there!
I always take your budget (and your priorities, and goals, and worries) into consideration. And I can help you coordinate with your insurance company to make sure you get the coverage you are entitled to. Plus, I can help you time your treatments to make them as affordable as possible.
But don’t assume that a dentist’s recommendation is the right one for you just because your insurance covers it.
Decide what’s most important to you first. Then select at the treatment that best fits what you want. After you’ve decided that, THEN you can decide whether you can afford it or not, with or without the help of your dental insurance. (And if you CAN’T afford the “perfect” treatment plan… that’s ok. There are dozens of other options, and I can help you find the one that IS perfect… for YOU)
Ready to learn more? Click here to get started.
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