In this dental blog… Dr Darryl Marsh looks at what exactly it is that stops people taking control over their dental health and the 9 questions they need to satisfy before they can move ahead.
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Many people have personal circumstances which act as a barrier to them receiving the dental care they need. They may have young children and raising them is taking up all of their resources. Or they maybe in their 50s and 60s and tell us that they feel sandwiched between the conflicting demands of teenage or “grown” children and aging parents. It seems that the time everyone will be in the best position to attend to their own health is always “right around the corner”.
In both cases, people put others interests first when making a decision. Always keeping family and friends desires on the radar, they are focused on providing the best solution to those near and dear to them. All too often with such a strong focus on what is best for their family, they neglect themselves. Whilst circumstances can certainly be a barrier to many people with serious dental problems attaining good dental health, knowing who you can trust is usually at the top of the list.
It seems that the time everyone will be in the best position to attend to their own health is always “right around the corner”.
Many patients tell us they need a dentist who will not only provide the type of dental treatment that they want, but also someone who you feel will keep you safe. I believe you need to find a dentist where you feel listened to and respected. Where you feel the dentist is trustworthy and has your best interests at heart. And where whatever the procedure or fees, you feel that you will receive good value for your money. After all you’ve earned at least that.
I have found that there are nine important questions that a patient needs to satisfy before they commit to any dental treatment. If all of these can be answered to your satisfaction then you can be confident that you’re in the right place.
Are they authentic or does it seem like they are pretending to be something they are not? With the ever-increasing complexity of modern medical and dental treatments there is ever increasing amounts of knowledge that healthcare practitioners must have. There are an ever-increasing number of dental procedures and techniques that must be mastered. For many dentists, myself included, the time and commitment and cost involved in researching and purchasing the equipment and in becoming expert in ALL of the modern dental treatments becomes simply ‘too much’.
In fact simply the cost of ‘tooling up’ to be able to perform every dental procedure to the same level as a specialist in that field, let alone the time and expense in acquiring the training, would be enough to send most dentists broke!
This creates a real dilemma for dentists: to (1) attempt to attain the best possible quality outcome for your patient with inadequate or out dated equipment, or (2) to reduce the scope of treatments that you perform yourself, and refer patients who require treatments that you do not perform to the highest level to an appropriate specialist in this area.
In my opinion, to try to achieve the same results as someone who has spent 2-3 years honing their skills in one particular facet of dentistry, whether it is complex root canals, or impacted wisdom teeth means that for all but the most gifted general practitioner would not be close to matching those of the specialist.
That is why in our practice we do not try to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ for our patients. I know that I am not that exceptionally gifted one in a million dentist who can do every dental procedure to the level that the best dentist in that specific field can perform. I’m just not that good. In our practice I do not try to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ because this will lead me to being a master of none.
We only do the procedures that we do really well and refer our patients who need other specialist procedures to the people who are the best in those fields. And by the best we mean not only technically excellent, but gentle, caring and great communicators as well. These are all the things we expect of ourselves.
Join me next time to find out the second question a patient needs to satisfy before they commit to any dental treatment.
Keep smiling!
At Today’s Dentistry we will never push children or hold them down to complete treatment.
If a child is too scared and we think we will not be able to do the best possible treatment for them because of this then we will always refer to our great network of specialist paediatric dentists. It is better for the child to have a positive experience at Today’s Dentistry and then be happy to return for check and cleans in the future.
So many dental phobias in adult patients were a result of those adults being treated badly or bad dental experiences when they were a child. This is what we are ultimately aiming to avoid completely with our child patients of today.
Children are smart and very aware of what is going on around them so we need to anticipate that in order to make them feel comfortable before they get a chance to get scared, involve them and let them know that they are an important part of the process.
It can be confusing to get your head around how you can best pay for your dental treatment, or which payment plan or option is best for your circumstances. We can help so give us a call on (07) 3263 2677 or Contact us.
We are never too busy to talk to you about any of our payment methods, payment plans, or any dental treatments that you may have questions about.
almost luxurious experience.
I highly recommend this dentist, especially if you suffer with anxiety or a fear of dentistry."
Your first visit at Today’s Dentistry is all about creating a Dental Roadmap so you know exactly what condition your teeth and gums are in, and what your options are for treatment.
Your first appointment includes:
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B. Oral Health (Therapy & Hygiene)
“Working with patients of all ages continues to ignite my passion within dentistry and I strive to provide a gentle, supportive and positive environment for every patient I work with. ”
B. App Sci (Oral Health)
“I enjoy seeing the delight that our patients show when they realise how easy dental care can be! Our team at Today’s Dentistry work together to make every patient feel completely comfortable.”
Dr Sharon's commitment to excellence has shown itself right from the start of her dental career, when she graduated from the University of Queensland with Class I Honours. Her commitment to her craft is reflected in the numerous professional development courses she participates in, with a desire to get the best possible outcomes for her patients.
Dr. Sharon is passionate about empowering patients through education about their dental conditions, supporting them through overcoming dental anxiety, and helping them achieve their dental goals.
Away from the clinic, Dr. Sharon is an avid baker, a keen photographer, and a fitness enthusiast aiming to conquer the Bridge to Brisbane run in 2023.
I always loved going to my own dental visits, and one day I honestly just though ‘why don’t I give dental assisting a go’. I applied for a job and got a call back straight away, and have been in the industry ever since!
I studied my Cert 3 in Dental Assisting online alongside working full time in my first dental job. I chose to do it online so I had more time to work as I am more of a hands on learner.
I LOVE smile makeovers. I love seeing the joy, and happiness it brings patients and the amount of confidence they gain by having their dream smile.
I love feeling like I am making some sort of impact on people’s lives. Whether it is helping them with their smile makeover, holding their hand during a procedure or just being an ear to talk to and a shoulder to cry on.
The team, they are all so wonderful and both Darryl and David are so great to work for. But also what our core value is – which is patient care. I think we are a really great team at making sure our patients come first and their experience with us is a positive one each and every time.
Brisbane born and bred, Sarah’s passion for dentistry began during her orthodontic treatment in her teens. After graduating from highschool, Sarah began working as a dental nurse and decided her true calling was as a dental hygienist. She graduated from the University of Queensland in 2006 and has worked in both the private and public sector since then.
Sarah’s focus is on prevention and education. Her goal is to empower her patients so that they can achieve and maintain the best possible oral health for life.
In her free time Sarah can be found spending time with her two sons, hiking, attending a pilates class or exploring Brisbane and the surrounds looking for new restaurants to eat at or adventures to have.
I have been a proud part of the Today's Dentistry team for 20 years now.
My journey to get here though was anything but straight forward and I can probably thank my own childhood family dental visits in Newcastle NSW for my interest in this area of care. It too was a very special practice that took the time with their patients young and old and truly cared about them.
Having my own great experiences as a patient I was thrilled for them to accept me for my Year 10 work experience as a dental assistant and fell comfortably into the role. Due to life as it was back then and lack of public transport my career took me in a whole different direction and I had many years at the Aluminium Smelter in Kurri Kurri.
Once my children were at school I applied for a position as a receptionist at the local Dental Practice only to be told it was actually for an assistant and was I still interested? Silly question! Hands on training the old school way which put me in great position for further learning when our family moved to WA for a couple of years and then finally finding my way to QLD and Darrly and David.
Dentistry to me is a package of many very important parts, the precision and artistry of the actual treatment, the person behind the treatment and understanding of not only their dental needs but emotional drivers and the communication and care to put this all together. Although I now find myself not chairside but doing the behind the scenes administration I still get to talk with our patients and be confident that they are in good hands with my wonderful team.
B. App Sci (Oral Health)
“I love the professionalism and challenge at Today’s Dentistry. It is great to work at a practice that believes in quality patient care”
Founder and Principal Dentist
“I value the many loyal patient relationships that I have built over the last 25 years and enjoy witnessing the procedures I have done stand the test of time.”
B. App Sci (Oral Health)
“I have worked in Dentistry in one form or another since I was 16 years old. I love this profession and making a difference in others lives.”
B.DSc (Hons) B.Sc (Hons)
“Although I love the scientific side of dentistry, I also get a great deal of satisfaction from helping our patients and surprising them with what modern dentistry is capable of.”