Are you looking for a new dentist and don't know where to start? It's worth asking questions about these two areas to find out more about them. 

Infection Control

Take a look at what your dentist is doing in terms of infection control. The office should not only be clean in general, but the people that work there should be taking the proper steps to make sure that both of you are protected from each other. This is especially true during this pandemic but should continue even after things go back to normal. 

While some things should be quite obvious, such as wearing a mask and gloves during your cleaning, it extends to things like how instruments are sterilized prior to your appointment. While this is not always something that you can see, it is worth asking your dentist about what they do to sterilize the instruments they use on you. Have a concern? Ask to see the sterilization area in person. 

Another thing to look out for these days is air-filtering since dentists are working with patients that are not wearing masks. Look for suction devices that are designed to remove droplets from the air before they spread throughout the office, air purifiers with HEPA filters so that the air is filtered, and any other things that can be done to make sure that the air is clean.

Specialty Procedures

It is work asking the dentist what type of specialty procedures they do in their own office. While you know that your cleaning, x-rays, exam, and polishing will be done in the office, it's possible that they do not do other things. For example, things like root canals, wisdom tooth extractions, and other specialty procedures may be something that they refer to a specialist to ensure that it is done properly. This is really just a personal preference, since you may prefer that the dentist that is recommending your root canal is the same one that performs it. 

Why would a dentist not want to perform these procedures themselves? It's possible that they do not have the training to perform a specialty procedure like a root canal, and another dentist has to do it for you. They may also be a dentist that is just starting out, and they do not have the necessary equipment to perform the procedure on your own. It is worth asking why they perform the procedure or refer you to someone else so that you better understand your dentist and how they do their job.

Contact a local dentist to get all of your questions answered.

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