{"id":1040,"date":"2019-09-23T13:56:51","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T13:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=1040"},"modified":"2019-09-23T13:56:52","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T13:56:52","slug":"practice-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/practice-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"PRACTICE DIFFERENCES"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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No two dental practices are alike! Each\ntakes on the characteristics of the practitioner who owns it.  The personality of the owner is probably the\nkey to how that office “feels” when you walk in the door.  Some practices may feel “clinical and\nefficient”, while others feel somewhat more home spun and laid back.  The dentist’s personality is reflected in his\nor her treatment preferences as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, all dentists will\nsuggest what they feel to be the very best plan for any given patient.  The differences between the treatment\nsuggested by one dentist and that of another reflects that dentist\u2019s\npreferences based on his or her experience. Thus, differing treatment plans do\nnot necessarily reflect any deficiency in either dentist’s judgment.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I presented a complex case situation to\na group of 15 dentists this past week. Even among this group of like-minded\ndentists, there were many different opinions as to how to approach this patient\u2019s\ncare. Some dentists said they would not do anything, while others offered very\nsophisticated treatment plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to remember that there\nare numerous ways to treat the same situation, and it is always important for\nthe dentist to tailor the treatment plan for each patient’s specific\ncircumstances.  A major part of those\ncircumstances may be financial, and since different treatment plans can vary a\ngreat deal in cost, it is helpful if the dentist takes the patient’s ability to\npay into account.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of treatment plans like various\nmodels of cars at dealerships.  All of\nthe models are new, have warranties and will work well out of the lot.  The higher end models, however, have some\nadvantages not found in the less expensive models.  Some options add years to the life of the\ncar. Some add to the appearance and enjoyment of driving it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dental treatment plans are like that\ntoo.  Saving a badly damaged tooth with a\nroot canal and a crown will preserve it for a long time, but it is a larger\ninvestment than the alternative extraction. \nReplacing a missing tooth may be done with an implant or fixed bridge\n(which remains in the mouth and is not removable), or a removable partial\ndenture. One is a larger investment than another. The implant, for example,\nprovides a more natural solution, but requires a higher level of care. A\ndentist should be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the\nvarious options, and allow the patient to make the decision.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All dentists who have graduated from an\naccredited dental school should be technically competent to perform any\nprocedure that they personally feel comfortable with.  But it is important to remember that each one\nis an individual, and no two dentists can perform exactly the same technical\nprocedure in exactly the same way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a patient, you have no way to be able\nto judge the quality of the clinical treatment performed. Did it hurt? Does it\nlook and feel good after? Do I feel the investment was worth it? Those are the\nparameters most patients use to assess success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, I have developed a deep\nrespect for those who practice dentistry. Many of my colleagues have impressed\nme with their technical abilities, and others with their communication skills. There\nare many great provider options for patients to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. St. Clair maintains\na private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered\nfamily dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to see written about\nor questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com<\/a>.\nYou can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No two dental practices are alike! Each takes on the characteristics of the practitioner who owns it.  The personality of the owner is probably the key to how that office “feels” when you walk in the door.  Some practices may feel “clinical and efficient”, while others feel somewhat more home spun and laid back.  The dentist’s personality is reflected in his or her treatment preferences as well. In my experience, all dentists will suggest what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1040"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1042,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1040\/revisions\/1042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}