Welcome to Delhi-Dentist, India .

DENTAL CLINIC AND DENTAL IMPLANTS CENTRE

Foreign Dentist : Foreign Dentistry?

Choosing to get dental work done away from home can be quite a tricky affair. While choosing a dentist in New Delhi, India, the following might serve as a guideline to verify if you are in safe hands :

THE GET ACQUAINTED APPOINTMENT

1) Have your first appointment as a getting acquainted visit. Have a chat, discuss your problems and  observe the dentist, the clinic and the staff to see whether your expectations, personalities and health care philosophies match. Once a level of confidence and trust is achieved, proceed further.

QUALIFICATION MATTERS

2) Dentistry is a licensed profession. Please verify that your dentist holds license in the form of a registration number from the Delhi Dental Council or any other Indian State Dental Council.

3) Verify that your dentist holds as a minimum, a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Degree from an Indian University/Dental College accredited by the Dental Council of India after 4+1 years of training.

4) Verify that your dentist has a license/registration certificate which has been renewed for the current year. The Delhi Dental Council, renews the registration certificate every year, with a validity period of one year, from January to December of each year.

5) Be wary of the number of "fake" dentists (or quacks) practicing in India - both in metropolitan cities, townships and rural areas. They do not have any qualifications or registration.  Be cautious of Quacks.

CONTINUING EDUCATION IN DENTISTRY (DCE)

6) Dentistry is an every changing profession, with newer techniques and materials being developed every day. The more updated your dentist is, the most modern, evidence-based, treatment he can deliver. Verify if your dentist has engaged in continuing education in dentistry on a regular level, since graduation.

7) Dental Continuing Education (DCE) is a life long process and involves all or some of the following on a regular basis, every year since graduation:

• Participation in Dental Conferences/Seminars
• Participation in CE courses in Dentistry (online internet based OR in person)
• Participation in Dental Lectures
• Subscription of publications related to Dentistry
• Authoring or Co-authoring of published literature in Dentistry
• Memberships in Dental CE groups/ societies/discussion forums/e-mail servers
• Participation in Hands-on-Courses in Dentistry
• Recent Post-Graduate Degrees/Diplomas/Certificate  in Dentistry from accredited Indian or Overseas Dental Schools.

CLEANLINESS / STERILIZATION PROTOCOL

8) Check if your dentist is fully aware of modern sterilization methods to prevent cross-infection,  including the use of Autoclaves and disposables. Boiling water sterilization is not a very effective method of sterilization and you can enquire on the methods used by your dentist. 

9) Keep an eye on the over-all cleanliness of the office and surgery. 

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

10) Observe if you have privacy for your treatment, case discussion and health status disclosures.

11) Confirm if confidentiality will be maintained in terms of your treatment records and health status disclosures.

12) Confirm if your approval is being sought or your concerns addressed, prior to taking your pictures for purposes other than case records, for example - for publications, etc.

13) Observe the overall conduct of the dentist and the staff in their interaction with you and their other patients - are they courteous, friendly and respectful.

14) Your time and the dentist's time is important. Note if the dental team encourages and adheres to given appointment schedules.

15) Note if you have been explained about your problems and their recommended treatments in a manner you can comprehend and give informed consent.

16) Note if the treatment charges, financial obligations, mode of payment etc., explained  and approved with from you before the treatment was started.

OVER-TREATMENT : A GLOBAL PHENOMENON

17) Be cautious of dentists who recommend extensive and elaborate treatment plans.

18) Be cautious of dentists who sell medicines or supplements.

19) Be cautious of dentists who recommend routine replacement of amalgam fillings or removal or teeth instead of root canal treatment.

20) Be cautious of dentists who advertise "specialized skills" in single sitting wonder cosmetic treatments.

21) When the charges of dental treatment are too low compared to other dentists in the area, there may be tendency to overdo the number of services, unnecessarily.

22) Good dentists are prevention oriented and lay emphasis on fluoride toothpastes, dental sealants, oral health education, complete oro-dental examination, and a regular recall.

QUALITY V/S QUANTITY : GOOD THINGS IN LIFE DO NOT HAPPEN IN AN INSTANT

23) Cost of dental treatment is not the best judge of quality of care.

24)  Good dentistry is an art and a science. Pay attention to the time your dentist takes to do the work. High-quality dentistry cannot be done  in a factory assembly-line; it takes time and meticulous attention to detail.

25) Quality oriented dentists, genuinely interested in the health of their patients, emphasis a regular recall and maintenance. Patient treatment records are maintained and the patients are put on a recall programme after the treatment is completed.

SECOND OPINIONS

26) If you are in doubt over the over-all treatment plan in any way, choose a second opinion. If your dentist's treatment plan is sound, it should hold up to scrutiny by others in the profession, especially those associated with a Dental School.

WORD OF MOUTH REFERRALS

27) Word of mouth referrals are important guides to choosing a dentist. Friends, family, acquaintances and other health professionals can recommend good dentists. However, word of mouth referral does not mean blind trust. Scrutinize even the referred dentist on your own scale.

SUGGESTED READING

1. Friedman JW and others. Complete Guide to Dental Health: How to Avoid Being Overcharged and Overtreated. New York, 1991, Consumer Reports Books.
2. Clinical guideline on the elective use of conscious sedation, deep sedation and general anesthesia in pediatric dental patients. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, revised May 1998.
3. Policy statement on the use of deep sedation and general anesthesia in the pediatric dental office. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, May 1999.
4. How to choose a dentist. Consumers Research, March 1997, pp. 20­24.
5. Ecenbarger W. How honest are dentists? Reader's Digest, February 1997, pp 50-56.
6. Dodes J. Coverage questioned (letter to the editor). ADA News, Sept 15, 1997.
7. How to choose a dentist by Stephen Barrett, MD and Robert S Baratz MD, DDS, PhD
8. Quackwatch: Your Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions

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