How to tell a good dentist from a bad one

38141

How does one tell a good dentist from a bad one? It's very difficult as a consumer because you have no idea how good or bad the work is. Is it a bad sign if he/she takes welfare recipients?

spurious

I presume taking people on welfare would mean he/she is not just in it for the money? This I would take as a good sign, though I'm not quite sure what you mean by a 'bad dentist'.

A recommendation from a friend would be good, but I have heard two different people give opposite opinions on the same dentist. I think it depends on the patient and the dentist too. I doubt somebody truly bad at their work would remain in business very long.

lomb

spurious wrote:

I presume taking people on welfare would mean he/she is not just in it for the money? This I would take as a good sign, though I'm not quite sure what you mean by a 'bad dentist'.

this is a tough question.
i would say the first line of your statement above
is false. welfare type practices both in ireland and around the world are high volume. they make as much if not much more money than some low volume practices. now that is not to say they are bad dentists, they are just providing a service that a large part of society want, simple things like quick extractions, basic cleans, reassurance, plastic dentures , pain service.
asking a high volume practice to do complicated stuff is an exercise in futility. thats why many ethical ones refer where patients want more. to do complicated stuff you need a lab on your side where you know the guys first name, a on practice lab, a rake of equipment, and most importantly time and loads of knowledge.
in the uk unfortunately the government and the department of health are very immoral, wanting to appease the public by providing cheap dentistry for all who want it. there is no such thing as referring except for extraction of wisdom teeth in hospital. there is no dentist crazy enough to to except nhs fees by referral . if you see nhs patients you are supposed to provide comprehensive care therefore you are stuck with the patient whether they need root canals, gum treatment, even large fillings , crowns, bridges, its all on yourself to do it. and it has been proven by scientific research that it cannot be done, so everything ends up in extractions and the teeth end up in the bin, that is why british people have such bad teeth...
the irish government has tried this on irish dentists(to appease the public) but they havent caved into the pressure and rightly so, there is no lieing with what you will get in ireland. you can only get basic services on medical cards, or small part payments on prsi and thats it. i hope this answers the question.

imeddyhobbs

you would know if he/she was a bad dentist if he/she had bad teeth!having said that the dentist that in seeing at the moment has rotten breath!!is he a bad dentist?

sudzs

imeddyhobbs wrote:

you would know if he/she was a bad dentist if he/she had bad teeth!having said that the dentist that in seeing at the moment has rotten breath!!is he a bad dentist?

Well you know that old one about being in a small town with only 2 dentists... one has terrible teet, the other has fab gnashers. Which dentist would you go to?

The one with the rotton teeth as he looks after the one with the good teeth!

eth0_

imeddyhobbs wrote:

you would know if he/she was a bad dentist if he/she had bad teeth!having said that the dentist that in seeing at the moment has rotten breath!!is he a bad dentist?

Bad breath is often a result of a stomach issue, it's not always because the person has a rotten tooth

centrino

I got my teeth cleaned a few weeks ago and he did'nt bother his hole cleaning the bottom ones or even use the polish on top or bottom. There still brown as sh*t, why would he do this?? :eek:

onetrueone

lomb wrote: »

welfare type practices both in ireland and around the world are high volume. they make as much if not much more money than some low
if you see nhs patients you are supposed to provide comprehensive care therefore you are stuck with the patient whether they need root canals, gum treatment, even large fillings , crowns, bridges, its all on yourself to do it. and it has been proven by scientific research that it cannot be done, so everything ends up in extractions and the teeth end up in the bin, that is why british people have such bad teeth...
the irish government has tried this on irish dentists(to appease the public) but they havent caved into the pressure and rightly so, there is no lieing with what you will get in ireland. you can only get basic services on medical cards, or small part payments on prsi and thats it. i hope this answers the question.

I wouldn't agree completely with you on this one.
Comparing Rep Of Ireland with the UK is not comparing like with like.
In Ireland we don't have a nationalised healthcare system - in the Uk they do.
The dynamics are therefore different.
Irish Dentists can tell the government schemes to shove it because they can make enough money from private patients who claim back through the PRSI.
Also not enough Rep of Ireland Dentists qualify each year - this stifles competition in the profession.
There isn't an easy answer to the problem of achieving good quality, affordable, dental care.
If I were in government, I'd fund a couple of new Dental Schools e.g. Limerick, Galway (and one more In Dublin) staffed with East-European/Cuban academics if need be.
A greater supply of Dentists from the new Dental schools would improve standards and drive down prices.
Eye-opening report from the Competition Authority on Dentistry in Ireland.

http://www.tca.ie/PromotingCompetition/MarketStudies/Professions/Dentists/Dentists.aspx

centrino

Well this is how I tell a bad one from a good one - Got my teeth cleaned a month ago and he did'nt bother his hole cleaning the bottom ones and the're brown as [EMAIL="sh@t"]sh@t[/EMAIL], that does it for me. Maybe PRSI claim related. :cool:

sunnyjim

I got my teeth cleaned a few weeks ago and he did'nt bother his hole cleaning the bottom ones or even use the polish on top or bottom. There still brown as sh*t, why would he do this??

If he cared he would send you to a hygienist. Instead what he did was charge his higher prices, doing something he doesn't care much for.

Hence, ****ty job.

davo10

If your teeth are as "brown as s**t", chances are you smoke and your teeth are discoloured. Cleaning as provided under your PRSI is a treatment to remove extrinsic staining and plaque deposits only, it does not cover extensive periodontal treatment nor tooth whitening which may be necessary to clean/whiten your teeth.

Sunnyjim, he was not charged for it, if he was I suspect centrino would have made reference to the fee involved.

If teeth are badly discloured, (as in "brown as s**t") a hygenist may not be able to whiten them, a combination of extensive cleaning and tooth bleaching/whitening may be necessary all of which will involve a fee.

Lastly, you have to look at why your teeth are as "brown as s**t", it is not your dentist's fault if you smoke/drink pot loads of tea,coffee/red wine etc and to think your teeth are suddenly going to be pearly white after one brief visit to the dentist is naive.

Recommendations from friends and family are the best way to find a good dentist, not from strangers on the internet. Sometimes the motives for people who post good/bad reviews can be questionable.

centrino

davo10 you are absolutely talking horse sh*t here, dont think you know what your on about here, this is easily cleaned by a dentist and have done on several occasions previsously.
And who mentioned in any of the above about having pearly white teeth coming from a dentist and to suggest that I'm niave this speaks volumes on what type of a sh*te you are. Go and re-evaluate your life and go and bother someone who gives a sh*t.

davo10

Sorry centrino, I seem to have offended you, this was not my intention. Boards is a discussion forum where people offer opinions and advice, most don't expect a responce like yours above, to their posts.

I note from previous posts by yourself that you had fillings recently, were your teeth cleaned then?. If so you were not due to have your teeth cleaned under PRSI scheme for a period of at least 6 months after your most recent cleaning. Is it possible that the dentist just removed a little bit of the gross plaque and will recall you for your 6 monthly in the future?.

Your responce above suggests you are not introverted, so why then did you not ask your dentist to do a more comprehensive cleaning while you were there?. Perhaps you are a little shy at the dentist, maybe next time you should bring your mammy/boyfriend/husband with you to ask the bad dentist man to clean your ickle brown teeth.

Caoimhín

I went to a dentist recently and when the girl showed me into his surgery, he was sound asleep on the dentists chair with The Sun folded accross his big fat belly.

I should have left at that point.

davo10

Does the fact that he was having a nap or that he may be overweight make him a bad dentist?. Are only slim dentists good ones?. How many of us in all professions have had the odd daydream or nap during times when we are not busy?. Does it mean all people who do, are bad at their respective jobs?.

Caoimhín

davo10 wrote: »

Does the fact that he was having a nap or that he may be overweight make him a bad dentist?. Are only slim dentists good ones?. How many of us in all professions have had the odd daydream or nap during times when we are not busy?. Does it mean all people who do, are bad at their respective jobs?.

Eh no, i was just having a laugh.

All the same, this guy looked like he was emptying bins all day, he even had the remains of his lunch on his face. No, i dont expect a surgeon to be skinny or alert, but i would expect a reasonable level of personal hygiene.

I have never walked into my doctors surgery to find him asleep under The Sun nor have i ever found my solicitor with butter on his chin.

Davo, I presume are you are a dentist, you seem very defensive. I am certainly not as defensive about every member of the same professional field as myself.

davo10

Caoimhin, you are absolutely right on all counts, I am a dentist and I agree a lot of dentists have taken their business for granted. The highest degree of professionalism is now an absolute must, so are standards of work, materials, staff, cosmetic treatments and not least value. I am a bit defensive because I don't live in a big city and do not charge exorbatant prices for treatments but my clinic gets tarred with the same brush. We go to great lengths to provide top quality treatment but people still assume that because it is a bit more expensive than the North and eastern Europe, that we are in some way on the make.

Taking a nap is not bad dentistry, poor personal hygiene very much is, I agree totally there.

My point with original post is that references for good dentistry are best gotten from someone you know and whose opinion you trust. I have always worked under the adage " a happy patient will tell one other an unhappy patient will tell eight".

In my opinion a bad dentist is one who does not respect his/her patients wishes, is rude and condesending, does not keep up with modern methods and materials, over treats patients for their gain, does not practice good cross infection in surgery, fails to diagnose obvious pathology etc.

What does not constitute bad dentistry is post filling/extraction pain, appointment delays, fillings falling out (sometimes teeth are not strong enough to hold filling or there is insuficient tooth retained to support filling, this may only become apparent after first filling has fallen out and more extensive/costly restoration may be required), uncomfotable dentures etc.

I encourage colleagues and staff to view this site because it is a good way of gauging public sentiment towards our profession and we can learn and improve from it. But you have to admit centrino's post is a little bit out there.

centrino

Firstly davo10 what you mean my comment is a little bit out there, don't get what you mean here or what assumming, are you calling me a liar?

dentalnurse

If u mean by taking welfare reciepts he gets u to fill in a form if your working then no, thats how he gets paid!!! its how it works, u pay half and social welfare pays half!!! have u had any problems afterwards or during? if no then hes a good dentist.

itsallaboutme!!

I would definitely not be impressed if I was shown into my dentists office to find him asleep in the chair with a newspaper! In my opinion this is so unprofessional!!:eek:
davo10 you ask have we all not had the odd daydream or nap during quite times at work, yes im sure many take advantage of quite times but i would assume that caomhin would have had an appointment at this particular time and that dentist should have been well aware of this and been prepared for her arrival!!
while this does not necessarily make him a BAD dentist its shows a huge lack in professional behaviour. Would a bank clerk be a bad bank clerk if you walked into the bank during a quite time to find them streched out sleeping under a paper??

davo10

I agree it is unprofessional to be caught like this and does not inspire confidence but as you said, it does not mean he is a bad dentist. We have an intercom system to inform us when patient is in waiting room, perhaps he would benefit from such a system.

It is encouraging that even though this thread had been visited a lot, the only complaints so far are a light hearted one about a dentist taking a nap and one from a trash talking person who isnt happy with her free clean.

itsallaboutme!!

i have to say though i personally have not had any bad experiences with a bad dentist.my dentist is always so professional yet he is also capable of having a friendly chat which i find great as i am not the bravest when it comes to the dentists chair! i had all my wisdom teeth out this time last year and the staff at the hospital were fantastic really put me at ease and my surgeon was amazing i couldn't recommend them highly enough!

dellyshoyle

I had a very bad experience today, nervous as I was I but the bullet and went for a (needed) filling. He said I needed my gums cleaned (fair enough) .. I asked could I have an injection as was nervous and had a low pain threshold he assured me there was no need, so I lay back and he started. It hurt, a lot, so I asked him to stop... He told me (aged 29) to stop being a baby and kept going the assistant held my hand and told me to relax!! I asked at least 7 or 8 times to please stop and was visibly crying in pain! I ended up grabbing his wrist and shouting through years for him to stop he laughed carried on and shushed me!! I eventually pushed his hand out and got him to stop... Me visibly distraught I was then told to stop being a baby again .,. Now I'm petrified and need your help.

Who do I complain to about this violating monster and who do I go to for more work , need recommendations here please guys x

S

Edit this particular dentist is in D13 area pm me for details if anyone wants them.

Oral Surgeon

dellyshoyle wrote: »

I had a very bad experience today, nervous as I was I but the bullet and went for a (needed) filling. He said I needed my gums cleaned (fair enough) .. I asked could I have an injection as was nervous and had a low pain threshold he assured me there was no need, so I lay back and he started. It hurt, a lot, so I asked him to stop... He told me (aged 29) to stop being a baby and kept going the assistant held my hand and told me to relax!! I asked at least 7 or 8 times to please stop and was visibly crying in pain! I ended up grabbing his wrist and shouting through years for him to stop he laughed carried on and shushed me!! I eventually pushed his hand out and got him to stop... Me visibly distraught I was then told to stop being a baby again .,. Now I'm petrified and need your help.

Who do I complain to about this violating monster and who do I go to for more work , need recommendations here please guys x

S

Edit this particular dentist is in D13 area pm me for details if anyone wants them.

There are always 2 sides to every story...

From reading yours, this is not good enough...

First a written complaint to the dentist/ surgery

If no satisfaction, the dental complaint resolution service http://dentalcomplaints.ie/

If no satisfaction, the Irish Dental Council
http://www.dentalcouncil.ie/

Regards,
OS

dellyshoyle

Didn't know there was somewhere just for complaints procedures! thank you x

Dianthus

dellyshoyle wrote: »

the assistant held my hand and told me to relax!! I asked at least 7 or 8 times to please stop and was visibly crying in pain!
Who do I complain to about this violating monster

Sorry to hear about what sounds like a very traumatic experience.
Just to note that there were two other people in the surgery with you, not just one....
As someone working in the health profession, a dental nurse is bound by a Dental Council code of ethics also.

Clinical Dental tech

onetrueone wrote: »

I wouldn't agree completely with you on this one.
Comparing Rep Of Ireland with the UK is not comparing like with like.
In Ireland we don't have a nationalised healthcare system - in the Uk they do.
The dynamics are therefore different.
Irish Dentists can tell the government schemes to shove it because they can make enough money from private patients who claim back through the PRSI.
Also not enough Rep of Ireland Dentists qualify each year - this stifles competition in the profession.
There isn't an easy answer to the problem of achieving good quality, affordable, dental care.
If I were in government, I'd fund a couple of new Dental Schools e.g. Limerick, Galway (and one more In Dublin) staffed with East-European/Cuban academics if need be.
A greater supply of Dentists from the new Dental schools would improve standards and drive down prices.
Eye-opening report from the Competition Authority on Dentistry in Ireland.

http://www.tca.ie/PromotingCompetition/MarketStudies/Professions/Dentists/Dentists.aspx

There are enough dentists graduating every year. The problem is that as soon as they qualify, they leave the country.
Out of the 80 dentists that graduated last year, 70 have emigrated.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Nah this thread started in 2007 no need to continue it, your quoting a post from 4 years ago.....closed.