The value of Interviewing potential dentists

[krlovesherkids777]

Just thought I'd share a little after going on several of what I call dental interviews

Having moved and needing to find a new dentist I decided to go on a few interviews, as I don't just want to hop
in any old dental chair if I have the option to find the right fit.. though there are times we don't have a choice due to
schedule, emergency, etc.. If we at all get the opportunity , I'm finding it and have found in the past very valuable to
set up meet and greets before any work or exam is done.. some of them are so telling )

I usually FB them via messenger , which is least nerve wracking less threatening than a phone call.. or . sometimes I
do call if I'm really led or feeling brave at the time. If I message I let them know I'm an anxious patient and want to know if I can come for a meet and greet to see if its a good fit and ask how they help anxious patients at their office. Usually they either ignore me , say sure , come on in for a meet and greet , but sometimes even the dentist themselves will answer kindly.. thats usually a good sign . not 100 percent but a good sign. So I set up a few appts to compare and see who I feel the most comfortable with .

Really I start my interview from there and including when I call to make the appt how friendly is the staff. How friendly are they when I check in. What is the atmosphere in the waiting room, warm,? sterile, ? are the front staff complaining or gossiping usually not the best sign. Asking how they help anxious patients and putting out your specific questions and needs you can find out alot about their theories and how patient they might be.. Today I had 2 and the first lady I have to say nearly failed the interview she got a D.. at least she was honest about her theories but certainly wouldn't want to be her patient. I won't mention what she said because even to me it was triggering and shaming. but couldn't leave fast enough. so that interview was very useful. The next one was also very telling in the opposite way , very warm and welcoming all the way through, they stopped at nothing to make sure all questions were answered and I felt comfortable there . just wow totally felt comfortable.. was a great sign .

Of course we can never fully know until we are in the chair.. but really believe these interviews can go a long way in learning to trust our gut feelings on who to give a chance to if we have a possible choice . and also can get us use to the dental office in a non threatening way before any treatment.. Now not everyone can even step foot into offic without panic. I was there too. but
I've found it so useful to do these interviews just wanted to share the experience.

Has anyone else had any specific interviewing /consult experiences,/advice to share .. would love to hear .

 

[Tolkienista]

I've read through your post and its very impressive that you can take that approach.

Here in the UK we are going through a crisis in dentistry, more and more NHS dentists are leaving to go and work privately, meaning that if you're lucky enough to find an NHS dentist, you grab them with both hands and thank your lucky stars........absolutely no interviewing, just get in and book an appointment!