The optimal minimum number of times to see a dentist is not a fixed number, but rather depends on the individual. Why? It’s because individuals have different susceptibilities to dental problems. For example some people get cavities all the time, but others never do, despite the same diet. These differences should not stop an individual from seeing a dentist at least once a year for good oral hygiene and health.

Costs of dental care are high and continue to increase. This is due to two factors. The first is that dentists used advanced technological equipment like finely tuned drills and complex amalgams for fillings. The second is that the skills of a dentist are achieved only through hard work and training over many years. On average a patient spends over eight hundred dollars a year.

To keep costs down, a prospective patient should do two things. One, he should ensure that he has a quality dentist. Two, he should specify very clearly what he wants to obtain in terms of dental care. Both of these objectives can be achieved with a little detective work and thoughtful questioning.

Which steps does one take to get a great dentist? Certainly one should check out the dental office in person to study whether everything is orderly, clean, and efficient. One should also observe the dentist to ensure that he has good behavior towards patients. Such things, while not absolute, indicate a greater likelihood of a detail-oriented and careful dentist.

The patient should be able to describe the end point he wants, and therefore the kinds of procedures to be performed. This will require questioning the dentist. These questions should paint a clearer picture of a patient’s oral health. For example, he may ask whether the cavity in the X-ray shows signs of hitting the root of the tooth. He may inquire whether a tooth needs to be pulled or whether it can remain in place for a few more months. He may find out about the itchiness in his gums.

The improved understanding of one’s oral health should lead to the next set of questions. The patient should find out from the dentist what are all the possible alternatives to any procedure. Not every procedure is set in stone. In particular, sometimes one can opt for a cheaper, and simpler procedure to address the same problems. For example, a very big cavity can be filled, filed down, and then capped with a crown. But the same cavity can be simply filled and then left alone. The former is longer lasting but more expensive, the latter is possibly adequate and cheaper.

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