How to Carefully Choose the Right Dentist For You
How to Carefully Choose the Right Dentist For You
• 2 Big Misconceptions About Dental Care
• The 5 Questions You Must Ask Before
Choosing a Dentist
• 3 Recommendations to Ensure You Have
Healthy Teeth and A Great Smile
THE SMART CONSUMER GUIDE TO
How to Carefully Choose the
Right Dentist For You
“What No One Ever Told You About Oral Health and Your Smile”
By: Dr. Maria Morales Rollinson
This Special Report Is For Everyone Who Smiles . . .
2 | The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Choosing The Right Dentist
The Smart Consumer’s Guide
To Choosing
The Right Dentist
By: Dr. Maria Morales Rollinson
Dear Friend,
I call you that because I hope you will become one of our friends.
I know choosing a dentist can be a difîž’cult task. This information is given to help you choose
a dentist that’s right for you.
I’ve written this report as a guide to everyone who smiles.
Because, regardless of the condition or health of your teeth, most of us have the capacity to
smile.
My goal is to create a world where I help more people smile, more often.
I do that through dentistry and this report will provide you with tips to
make the best decisions regarding the care of your teeth your health
and your smile.
I hope you îž’nd value in this information.
Our dental ofîž’ce was created so you can experience friendly, gentle
Dentistry that produces proven results – a great smile and healthy
teeth for life.
If you are a person who wants teeth that look good and feel good, or
if you have apprehension about going to the dentist, I believe you’ll
love Rosedale Dental, but in this guide I’ll give you information to help
you make an informed educated decision about choosing a dentist no
matter where you are.
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So, let’s get right to it by looking at the
FIVE questions you must ask any dentist
before agreeing to sit in their examina-
tion chair.
These îž’ve questions are the key ques-
tions you must ask to discover the
dental practice that’s right for you.
Our team have determined these key
questions to be the most often asked (or
wondered about) by patients.
Some of these surfaced through our years of experience and others over thousands of hours of
post-doctoral training.
Question 1: How do I know I’ll like my experience if I come to your ofce?
First impressions mean a lot. A well run practice should be able to effortlessly describe the way
you’ll feel when you step through their doors.
What will you notice the moment you step into their ofîž’ce? Is it old and out-dated, stuffy and
cramped or is it a state-of-the-art facility, designed for your comfort?
Ambience is nice, but honestly, a far more important aspect of a unique dental practice is the
staff. They should be “people-people” people, who enjoy others and truly love giving great ser-
vice.
Many of our patients have remarked to us what a friendly, upbeat ofîž’ce we have. We take per-
sonal pride in being an ofîž’ce that our patients like to come to. Patients are greeted by smiling
staff members at the front desk when they arrive for their appointments, then shown around the
front ofîž’ce.
We have a lounge to relax in before seeing me, or my dental assistants and hygienists. We offer
free wiîž’, TV and complimentary premium coffee.
If you haven’t been to a dentist in a long while, you can be assured of not being embarrassed or
scolded. Listen, we know it can be hard to come in even though you know you should. We won’t
make it any harder.
We work to make it easier, so you can feel relieved about that!
You get individual attention to help you get the right kind of dental care that looks good, feels
good, and helps keep your teeth for a lifetime.
4 | The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Choosing The Right Dentist
You’ll benet from the latest technology available in equipment, ma-
terials, and technologies so you can not only have great dental health,
but also a great smile. You’ll enjoy a friendly, upbeat atmosphere of
open communication.
It’s important to ask if the dentist you are considering will take the
time to answer your questions, and work to understand your concerns.
Question 2: How do I know you are a good Dentist?
Good dentistry comes as a result of the combination of education...
on-going professional post-doctoral training and teaching... talent...
experience... and the commitment to doing it right.
• What kind of experience does the dentist have?
• What do others say about him or her?
• What kind of reviews do you nd online or in their ofce?
• What organizations or community involvement does the dentist
have?
These are things to look for.
You’ll want to make sure your dentist has a friendly, caring chair side manner.
That he or she pays attention to the details that will ensure your care is as thorough and gentle
as possible.
If you have a challenging dental situation, how will the Dentist handle it? What can and will they
do for you. Why?
Does the Dentist have an ability to employ wide-ranging diagnostic and treatment methods to
îž’gure out what works best for your situation?
One of the things you’ll notice about me is that I have a passionate commitment to giving you
quality dentistry that looks good and feels good.
Since we opened, I have crafted and inspired bright new smiles for thousands of patients. I’ve
developed my practice with the feeling of “friends helping friends, creating beautiful smiles for
life.” I built my practice into a “one stop shop” of dental services based on the founding mission
of providing the level of care and service that I and my staff would want for ourselves as pa-
tients.
I received my dental degree from New York University. While there, I was selected as an honours
student in cosmetic dentistry and I had the opportunity to work closely with leading profes-
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sionals in the îž’eld. I was honored to have been awarded the Robert Sussman award presented to
doctors who have demonstrated both clinical excellence in operative dentistry and humanitarian
values in patient care.
Before attending New York University, I spent two years studying Maxillofacial Surgery in Glasgow
and London in the UK. I am originally from Venezuela, and I îž’rst graduated as a Dentist in 2002
from the Santa Maria University.
My commitment to continuing education includes numerous dental courses including a year long
dental implant residency at the University of Toronto. Most recently, I enhanced my skills in this
area at the Ti Max Implant Maxi course accredited by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
I am proud member of the Ontario Dental Association, The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of
Ontario, and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
I don’t tell you any of this to brag, but to simply show you that I am committed to offering the
highest level of expertise and staying on top of what is happening in the îž’eld of dentistry. We
quickly learned that creating a successful dental practice is as much a matter of great clinical
skills, as it is being an excellent “people person.”
Question 3: Do you offer all the Dental services that I need or could need?
This is an important question. While every dentist offers exams, cleanings, and care for cavities,
not all dentists offer everything you may need.
You may nd a dentist that is perfect for you, but what if you need children’s dentistry? Does your
dentist offer bridges and implants, or will you have to
be referred out to another ofîž’ce to get your dental work
done?
Among the not commonly seen services are:
* Cosmetic Dentistry Services- Smile make-over
based on computer assisted Smile design to
give you the look you’ve always wanted.
*The ability to show you a computer simulation
of what your smile could look like AND to make
a “preview” smile that you can wear and show
others what your new smile will look like.
* Whitening to give you white, bright teeth.
* Super-Strong tooth-colored materials so teeth
don’t look grey or dark at the gum line…giving
natural looking teeth.
6 | The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Choosing The Right Dentist
* Full cosmetic consultation for challenging, difîž’cult situations- re-
storing smiling and chewing to how they should be.
* Bad Breath Evaluation and Treatment
*Advanced three dimensional x-rays
* Dental Implant Therapy- To replace missing teeth and rebuild
smiles, performing all aspects of the treatment, surgery and resto-
ration.
* Gum Therapy- Which includes using plastic surgery for your gums
to make them look right, regenerative surgery using bone grafts to
rebuild missing bone, specialized antibiotics to treat resistant gum
disease.
* Customized Cosmetic Dentures-Teeth that look stunning and natu-
ral.
* Intra-oral video and digital cameras- so you can see what we see
when we look into your mouth.
These are things people don’t always think about. But your life and
treatment can be dramatically simpliîž’ed if you know what the dentist
can do before you choose.
We are a full service dental practice. We can help you with all the routine services you would
expect, along with the ones that you don’t commonly see in most dental ofces.
We offer almost all the dental services you’ll ever need, right here in our ofce.
Our dental expertise includes; Emergency Dentistry, Cosmetic Dentistry, Children’s Dentistry,
Dental Crowns/Caps, Dental Bridges, Teeth Whitening, Laser Dentistry, Dental Implants, Family
Dental Care, Root Canal Therapy, Sport and Mouth guards. Our commitment is to give you a
customized, tailored approach to your medication and treatment regimen.
Among the routine services we offer are examinations, cleanings, check- ups, conservative gum
treatment, îž’llings, advanced x-rays and computerized dental diagnostics, root canals, crowns,
bridges, removable partial dentures, and cosmetic dentures.
Many patients say they really like the fact that they don’t get sent all over town for their ser-
vices.
Question 4: Do you make appointment scheduling, fees, billing, and insur-
ance easy for me?
There’s nothing worse than trying to navigate your way through complex appointment setting
procedures and billing schedules.
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Your life is too busy already.
We recognize the importance of being able to get appointments and having a flexible schedule.
You can request an appointment anytime from our website, or call our ofîž’ce directly Monday
through Saturdays.
As for insurance, like many Canadians, you may have a dental plan through your employer, union
or provincial government.
We deal with all sorts of plans and îž’le for you helping you win in dealing with insurance compa-
nies…and we can help you understand your dental plan.
Remember that a dental plan and a treatment plan are two different things:
A dental plan is a means to help you to pay for your dental treatment. Employers provide health
and dental beneîž’ts for a variety of reasons, including the promotion of good health.
A treatment plan is the personal plan you and
your dentist develop together to meet your
oral health needs. It serves as your road map
to good oral health and should not be limited
by what a dental plan will cover.
Some things you need to know about
your plan:
• What is covered each year?
• Is there a deductible?
• Is there a total dollar limit on
my coverage?
• Can I choose a procedure other
than the one my plan covers?
• Will I still be covered if I change jobs?
• To what extent am I covered for cleanings and x-rays?
• To what extent am I covered for dental treatments such as llings and root canals?
• What about other treatments such as bridges and crowns, dentures and oral sur-
gery?
• Can I choose my own dentist? (Some plans may restrict you to a list of approved
dentists.)
8 | The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Choosing The Right Dentist
Our staff is ready to help you so that your total den-
tal experience is the same we’d want for ourselves.
If you aren’t covered by a group health and dental
insurance plan, then you know how quickly medical
bills can add up.
We help you understand the fees, billing and insur-
ance so you can be comfortable îž’nancially, too. We
work to make fees affordable while helping maxi-
mize your insurance coverage.
The îž’fth and most important question is:
Question 5: How are you going to help me keep my teeth for a lifetime so
they look good and feel good?
Or for those who have lost some of or all of their teeth the îž’fth and most important question
becomes:
How are you going to help me regain lost appearance and function?
Instead of telling you what to watch out for on this question, allow me to tell you what we do
here are Rosedale Dental.
First, we’ll talk with you about your past medical history and dental history. We want to know
your concerns and what is important to you about your teeth and your treatment.
Then, we’ll do a thorough dental examination that leaves no stone unturned. We know from
experience that many times hidden, unknown problems exist that you don’t know about. In fact,
unless you have pain, there’s often no way for you to know that you have dental problems. Some
problems don’t even exhibit any symptoms until they are advanced.
• We’ll evaluate your teeth gums and bite, looking for hidden signs of problems before it’s
too late.
• We’ll offer you the kind of dentistry that we would want for our own families.
• We’ll help you get the bright, white smile you’ve always wanted.
• We’ll answer your questions and work out the needed appointments to give you the
best results as quickly as possible while maintaining quality care.
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We know that serious, life-threatening risks to your health can be a result of untreated dental
problems, so we’ll help rid you of any dental infection-and help you stay that way.
You will receive an individual, customized plan of treatment that serves four functions:
1) Correcting your problems
2) Enhancing your appearance
3) Creating long term solutions
4) Preventing future problems by giving you maintainable dental health
Once your treatment (if any) is complete, we’ll help you maintain your dental health with periodic
visits on a schedule designed for you as an individual.
Dentistry is a lifetime need. Teeth don’t heal themselves. If they did, no one would lose any teeth.
Because of our expertise and experience, we often are called upon to deal with very difîž’cult, chal-
lenging dental situations.
Every age has its own special dental problems.
As you live longer and work later in your life, your dental needs
are unique. We help you regain lost function, eliminate painful
conditions, and enjoy a youthful, radiant smile.
In closing, not every dentist is right for every individual.
We know we aren’t right for everyone, but we are right for those
who want to keep their teeth for a lifetime.
We are right for those who want teeth that look good and feel
good. We are right for the person who wants a bright, white
smile.
If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, then you may
be an ideal candidate to be a patient in our practice.
In fact, before I close, let’s look at a few misconceptions that
cause people to choose the wrong dentist and waste time,
money and experience often traumatic results. I want to bring
to your attention a couple common misconceptions consumers
have when choosing a dentist, and a couple recommendations!
10 | The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Choosing The Right Dentist
Misconception #1 : The dentist that offers the lowest price is the dentist
you should choose.
Maybe – but not always. Here are a few points to consider.
Point #1: The price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed. Before
you select a practice, decide what you want to accomplish.
Usually, if a dentist is much lower in price than other dentists it may indicate that they run you
through procedures faster, and spend less time with you.
This may not be good, because the focus is not on quality.
Also, price is usually an indication of quality. More efîž’cient
Dentistry may cost more. Better trained dentists who want to
give you more time and quality of service cost more. Reliable
service and products cost more. You don’t buy the cheapest car,
clothes, or foods. Don’t let price alone be the deciding factor
when choosing a dentist.
Point #2: The price you see advertised may not be the price
you pay.
Many people have learned that the low price they saw advertised
was not the amount they were charged.
And if you’ve responded to a price offer from a dentist, you too
may have been the victim of false or misleading advertising. You
probably learned the hard way that some practices offer a cheap
price – and then pressure you into paying a lot more once they
get you in the ofîž’ce. Some of them may not even intentionally do it, but it still happens.
You’ll nd other practices – professionals like us who work hard to earn your trust and respect.
As a way of improving our profession, I’ve dedicated my practice to educating the public. The
only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need. This is why I give
away this booklet.
Some things you need to know about your plan:
MISCONCEPTION #2: Dental Procedures and Treatments are Painful
Fear of pain is the number one reason that millions of people avoid going to the dentist.
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The truth is that too many people wait until they are in
agonizing pain before breaking down and dragging them-
selves into the dentist’s chair.
And all for nothing... because majority of the time they’re
walking out the door feeling dramatic relief from the pain
within hours, even minutes.
For the most part, the nightmare of a barbaric dentist is
a thing of the past. Medicine and technology have come
a long way in allowing for proper pain management that
promotes nothing more than a feeling of pressure while undergoing treatment and some brief
soreness afterwards.
Even invasive procedures are often times pain free!
I understand the fear that people of all ages sometimes have of visits to the dentist, that why our
practice is also renowned for our management of fearful patients, which allows patients to be
relaxed and comfortable.
If you’re thinking about having your teeth examined, whitened, or you are
looking for other cosmetic or general procedures, I offer these three recom-
mendations:
Recommendation #1: Make a commitment to yourself to get your teeth and gums examined
every 6 months. The longer you wait, the worse it will be(and costly!). Regular check ups will
extend the life of your teeth and help maintain their look and feel!
Also, 4 out of 5 people are walking around with the worst silent killer of teeth and it’s called peri-
odontitis- aka gum disease.
If your gums are bleeding when brushing or eating hard food, you have bad breath, pain or sores
in your mouth, gums are pulled back which make your teeth appear longer, or you see pus be-
tween gums and teeth, you must get in right away!
Recommendation #2: Ask questions. The way you learn about a practice is to ask speciîž’c
questions and listen carefully to the answers. Here are the questions I suggest you ask:
• Do you have any testimonials from current patients who are satised and enjoy their
experience with their dentist? If you are looking to have aesthetic or cosmetic work done,
you will want to see before and after pictures of actual patients from that ofîž’ce. You are
welcome to come in and see them during business hours. Many dentists use books with
pictures in them, but the problem is that these are not his or her patients.
12 | The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Choosing The Right Dentist
• The second question you’d like to ask is “Is there any warranty or guarantee given?” For
example, if you bought a washer and dryer, you will be offered a certain warranty that
will guarantee that washer and dryer will work for a certain time period, and if it doesn’t,
they’ll replace it. Well, in our ofce almost every procedure has a warrantee so if some-
thing goes wrong with a covered procedure, we’ll x what needs to be done for no extra
charge.
• The third question you’d like to know, is what is the doctor doing to stay current and
keep his/her skills up to speed, especially if you are doing a specialized procedure.
See, there are so many dentists out there, and some are better than others at different
procedures. So, you want to make sure the dentist you choose to do your procedure is
very experienced at it.
• Finally, the last question that many of our patients ask, and I think is very important is,
“What does the dentist do to insure that you are going to have an anxiety free
and pain free experience?”
For example, many of our patients come in very nervous and scared, but îž’nd out that we have
nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas.
Our patients leave our ofce telling us how it didn’t hurt a bit.
By asking these questions and spending the small amount of time necessary to make an intel-
ligent choice of a dentist, you will help create a doctor-patient relationship founded on mutual
trust and respect