Dental Service Plan - Near You in Palo Alto, CA

New Dentistry, A Partnership For Your Health And Well Being

A world of opportunities for dental health awaits us in the new dentistry. Using the old dentistry, dental professionals did their best to provide a high quality of service given the state of knowledge and technology at that time. Through advancements in treatment, research, and the desire of the dental profession to do more and do it better, the new dentistry has emerged. It is based on a foundation with specific characteristics that are of great benefit to us as consumers.

• Efficiency: Your time and your resources are valuable to you, and your dental professional recognizes this. New treatment techniques and methods have considerably reduced the amount of time that the dental care now takes. The return on your investment in dental health is excellent.
• Comfort: Not only are the dental chairs and the office environments more comfortable and pleasant, improvements in the use of local anesthetics and new equipment provide more comfort than ever before.
• Collaboration: The dental relationship is now based on the value that you can derive from your dental team and what you want for your dental future rather than just on the techniques and procedures your dentist can do. Through continuing education, your dentist has the skills and knowledge to help you make decisions for your dental health in a positive and informed way.
• Predictability: New materials and advances in treatment provide you with opportunities to maintain your dental health throughout your life. With the innovative cosmetic dentistry and specialized approaches to reclaiming teeth that formally would be lost, your dental professional can help create and maintain teeth and gums. Predictable treatment, effective prevention methods, and the longevity of treatment are now part of any treatment plan.
• Thoroughness: Advances in assessment and diagnosis now enable dentists to make thorough evaluations of your overall dental and oral health. The outcome is a plan for your health that will give you peace of mind, knowing you can have a well-informed dental plan in place.
• Prevention: This characteristic of the new dentistry has received much publicity in recent years. It has been proven over and over again that there are several measures that you can take as a consumer of dental care to create and maintain your dental health in collaboration with your dental team. It bears repeating again - flossing and brushing combined with regular dental hygiene checks are your greatest allies in maintaining your teeth and a bright smile.
• Precision: The new dentistry utilizes instruments and technologies that are far advanced from what was available even 15 years ago. Both general dental professionals and specialists have access to technologies that provide precision in diagnosis and treatment. The value for you is higher quality care.

The dental profession has established a strong foundation for a pleasant smile and a healthy dental future for all of us. Improvements are continuously being made to this foundation. You can choose to avail yourself of these improvements by asking your dentist, "What can help me to maintain my dental health?" They have the knowledge and the desire to help you, including information about a wide range of dental payment plans.

By Brian DesRoches, PhD

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Four Ways To Be Understood By Your Dentist

What do you want from your relationship with your dentist? Oftentimes, this question is answered when there is a dental problem or emergency requiring immediate attention. There is a different approach to your relationship with your dentist that relates to your own needs and dental health. This approach is designed to help you create the kind of experiences you want with your dentist.

You have a choice about this relationship and how it can support and assist you in your life. It begins with the simple question stated at the beginning of this article: What do you want from your relationship with your dentist?

The answer to this question can take many forms. For some people it may mean having a lot of information about their dental health and future. They seek facts to know they are making good, informed decisions. Others may want a friendly relationship in which openness and communication are valued. They want information but, more importantly, they want to know they are important to the dentist and the dental team. Some individuals want minimal information and discussion -- just the facts and the solutions to take care of any dental or dental financing problem.

We all have different wants in our relationships with health professionals such as dentists. Here are four tips to assist you in deciding what you want in your relationship with your dentist:

• Do you want a lot of detailed information about actual problems or potential problems or do you prefer a quick summary of data with recommendations about what to do?
• Do you like to make quick decisions or do you prefer to think about things before you act?
• Do you like to talk about what is happening or do you prefer to have your dentist just tell you what is going on?
• Do you want the dentist to describe a problem situation and solution with pictures so you can see what it happening or do you prefer to go on gut feeling?

Each person looks for different things in their relationships. It is your responsibility to determine what you want and look for that in the relationship with your dentist. The answers to the questions above will tell you something about this.

The next step is communicating what you want so that you are understood. Only you know when someone else understands you. Here are four tips to assist you in this communication process:

• Tell your dentist that you have some ideas about how he or she can assist you with your dental health and dental financing.
• Ask when it would be a good time to discuss your needs and desires for your dental care and relationship with your dentist.
• Communicate what you want and how that will help you.
• If you had a negative experience in the past with another dental professional, always discuss what happened. Past hurts or disappointments have a way of negatively influencing present situations that are similar in nature.

Communicating what you want is important to your dentist for it is the best way for him or her to plan for the optimal dental health for you.

By Brian DesRoches, PhD

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.