Only the best for you - when it comes to dental care

It is a common perception among many people that they need to go to a dental clinic only for tooth extraction or for dentures – plain and simple! And when it comes to people’s perceptions of dentists, they are either scared, think they have to wait a long time for their turn, and that dentists are judgmental about the patient’s oral hygiene. Keeping these perceptions behind your mind and searching for the “best dentist near me” might not provide the best dental centre!

The best dentist near me – How do I know?

Everyone wants the best in life. We want the best education for our children, the best clothes, and the best place to live! When it comes to something like healthcare, our expectations of a best place seems to skyrocket. This is natural and essential. However, do we really know what is best?

An obvious way of perceiving the “best” healthcare experience is that one walks in to a clinic, gets physical examination, a prescription for a pill or two, and walks out with an advice on the need to eat fruits and vegetables. This is an ideal experience that everyone might not be lucky enough to have.

In India, minimal diagnostic tests, prescribing only one “powerful” medicine, and charging nominal amounts are perceived as good healthcare experiences. While affordable healthcare is certainly a need, doctors cannot unfortunately avoid certain diagnostic tests and procedures. And, what with antibiotic resistance, the notion of “powerful” medicine cannot be pandered to.

Take for example what people think of dental radiographs -

Dental radiographs are diagnostic tools that study hidden dental structures, the presence of cavities, number of root canals, and bone loss. Many dental treatments cannot be done without dental radiographs. However, despite following effective dosages and minimal exposure times, many people are scared of this procedure.

This brings us to the question of how we decide who the best dentist near me is and what is the best dental centre given the limitation of people’s knowledge.

One need not know the essentials practice guidelines of dentistry to know what a good dental centre is. Here are a few things you need to look out to get the best dental treatment with a top rated dental clinic near you.

A plain search online for the best dentist near me would yield numerous results. However, you should be equipped with minimum knowledge in order to do research and zero in on a dental centre.

What you need to know before deciding on a dental centre?

Capabilities for dental emergencies

Unexpected events do happen in life; however, they should certainly not happen during your dental treatment. That is why you should first source information if the dental centre in question has dental emergency capabilities. The dental centre should have emergency drugs and equipment.

Patients who are afraid and get anxious are prone to dental emergencies and can go into a condition called hyperventilation syndrome. Patients in this condition start to experience breathlessness, rapid breathing, and chest tightness. This is mainly caused due to stress and anxiety. Dentists should be able to recognize the symptoms early on and take necessary action.

Emergency kit for dental centres

• Aspirin
• Bronchodilator
• Epinephrine (Injectable)
• Histamine blocker (injectable)
• Nitroglycerin
• Oxygen administration capability
• Sugar

Look for the dentist’s experience and qualification

This of course is an obvious research method to find the best dentist near you. The number of years of experience and the specialization of the dentist would help you. For example, if you are looking for treatment of a gum disease, then a periodontist is the best for you. In case you want to get your misaligned teeth corrected, an orthodontist is to be consulted. In case of dental implants, an oral surgeon is ideal.

Know about sterilization methods

It is very important for dental centres to have international-standard sterilization methods in order to keep the place disease and infection-free. In a dental hospital, it is very important to take decontamination measures with the use of recommended chemical and ultrasonic sterilizers.

Sterilization removes disease-causing germs from the dental equipment. Though heat sterilization has been used in earlier times, microbiological contamination should be removed with sterilization using enzymatic and non-enzymatic solutions, fumigators, and ultrasonic cleaners.

Sterilization of the dental chairs, dental instruments, and the entire dental station is vital for infection-free environment.

Technology used for dental treatments

Dentistry has evolved a lot from its earlier days. With latest advances in dental technologies and dental equipment, it is possible to diagnose dental problems at the microscopic level and provide accurate treatments. Microscopic dentistry, Laser dentistry, and digital dentistry are revolutionizing dental outcomes and providing satisfying results to patients. Superior diagnostic technologies like cone beam CT, digital orthopantogram, digital radiovisiography, and CAD/CAM technologies provide impeccable visualization and open the doors for precision treatments.

 Services offered

Before choosing a dental centre, it is important for you to find out the range of services they offer. A dental centre that performs complex dental surgeries provides treatments for a wide range of dental problems, and having the best dentists should be chosen. Without doubt I can say that only such a dental centre can be one of the top rated dental clinics near me.

Remember to do this research before you choose a dental centre, and never forget to get your periodical dental checkups as good dental health means good overall health!