Obviously there are many acceptable ways for dentists to meet and access a new dental patient. For my practice, the answer to this question depends on our first contact with a potential new patient. Usually new patients contact us by telephone and the first person they speak with is Ida my New York dental office manager. She asks the caller a series of questions to help determine how and if they will be scheduled.
She starts with are they having a problem and how did they hear about us. If they are having a dental emergency, the patient is placed in my schedule for treatment as soon as possible, but before scheduling any patient she asks if they have a dental insurance and if so are they allowed to go out of network. Although we are 'insurance friendly' we do not participate with most dental plans and are 'out of network'(sole exception the Delta Premier Plan). Some patients at that point explain that they really only want to see a dentist that accepts their plan.
If the caller hasn't had a cleaning in over 6 months and are they are not having an emergency, most often they are scheduled for a cleaning,any needed X-rays and an examination. I usually examine the patient after their cleaning and ask if anything is bothering them. After briefly speaking with the patient, looking at their teeth and their radiographs, it is apparent whether I will need them to return for a more extensive examination and discussion of any treatment options.
Often no large scale problems are found and no follow up examination is needed, but if one is needed, I ask the patient if they would mind returning for a more lengthy examination. They are not billed an additional fee for this followup initial examination. It done this way since they will need additional time for me to explain their problems to them and to discuss options for treatment. I do not want them to feel 'rushed'.
At a scheduled follow up visit, I usually start by letting my patient view their digital X-rays, so I can point out any radiographic findings. I also usually give them a magnifying mirror that I bought at Duanne Reade for about 8 dollars so they can position it so they can look into my dental mirror while I am showing them their teeth. Although some dentists have intraoral camera systems that work well, I am happy with my low tech solution and most patients are able to see into my dental mirror to visualize the issues with their teeth that I want them to see.
For most patients this "show and tell" can take about 20 minutes and is then followed up with treatment recommendations. Many patients seem to need an clear explanation of why the types of treatment I am recommending is needed, especially if more than a simple filling is needed . Often they want to know why a simple filling can't do the job. Many teeth that are treated need more extensive and expensive treatments such a root canal and/or a crown. Also on occasion, some teeth are missing so much tooth structure that they should not be saved, since restoring them can cause problems, be unpredictable. In that instance implant restorations can provide a more dependable and long lasting result.
I find that for patients with numerous dental problems an hour appointment is needed and for some even a further follow up appointment may be needed, especially if specialist consultations are required before they commit to a treatment plan. For complicated treatment plans, costs of overall treatment can vary widely depending on what type of treatments are ultimately chosen by the patient and dentists involved in their delivering their care. Time needed for completion can vary as well, so some patients need more time and more discussion before commuting to a treatment plan especially when presented with several alternative plans.
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