Health.
The third word in my tagline is self explanatory — Health. As a healthcare provider I am here to above all else take care of the health of your teeth and oral environment.
A lot of people come in with the intention of simply making cosmetic fixes. I hear people say that they want their teeth whiter or straight when they haven’t realized that they have periodontal disease or major cavities that are causing the darkness or visible problems. The main priority when patients present to my office is making sure that their concerns are heard but informing them of their health condition and what we can do to to put a stop to disease progression.
Every patient begins their treatment at my office with a comprehensive evaluation and a full mouth series of x-rays. Even if patients come in with the intention of a free cosmetic consultation — the first step following is a comprehensive evaluation. We can not simply fix the external. All disease needs to be treated and brought to light for the patient to be aware of the condition of their mouth. This means conducting an oral cancer screening, periodontal exam, TMJ evaluation, and checking on each tooth individually and as a functioning part of the mouth as a whole. Usually the comprehensive evaluation and x-rays take about an hour to complete. This does not include the cleaning. The cleaning is booked based on the condition of the gums and this is thoroughly explained to the patient. From there, regular intervals of cleanings through the years are an expectation in order to maintain good periodontal health.
A major part of treatment planning is helping to educate the patient on the disease present (if any) in their mouth and how to go about fixing it in the best way possible. There are often times risks, benefits, and alternatives involved with treatment planning and these discussions are conducted so that the patient understands all of their options clearly moving forward with a particular treatment plan. Records and photographs are taken at many steps along the way so that the patient can see how far along we have come and so that we are all on the same page in understanding the game plan and the end result we are attempting to reach. Time and financial commitments from the patient are explained at the very beginning, as well, so that everything is clear as we begin treatment.
As a healthcare provider I see my role as two-fold. One being that I want to be able to create the best treatment plan possible for each patient- and two being that I want to educate the patient as to why it is important to move forward as planned. It’s often times tough to understand dentists. Similar to getting your car fixed, you don’t really know what is going on when a diagnosis and treatment plan are presented to you. It is the providers responsibility to make things clear so that you are all on the same page with the current health of the teeth and what needs to be treated.
Thus, ends the explanation for choosing each word in my tagline: Beauty. Confidence. Health.
