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Hey Anna, you look puzzled. What's going on? Oh Rob, I've been postponing seeing a dentist
for such a long time and now that I finally decided to get my teeth fixed, I'm so confused
by all the dental websites claiming to be the experts in every field of dentistry. I
just don't know who to see. It does seem to be the way most dental practices
market themselves these days. They are a one stop shop for everything; impants, cosmetic
dentistry, wisdom teeth, invisalign, the list goes on.
Ok, you sound like you're clued up on this; tell me, how can the consumer differentiate
between genuine experts and clever online marketing?
Well, I happen to have checked this out myself. What I've found is that pretty much any dentist
can claim to be an expert or even claim to be schooled in most fields of dentistry, it's
just the nature of dentistry that most general dentists can carry out a wide range of procedures.
But medical GPs don't do that. You're right. General medical practitioners
mostly restrict themselves to exactly that - general practice. They routinely refer patients
to medical specialists for all sorts of care. For example; cardiologists, plastic surgeons,
gynaecologists and so on. Granted that GPs are trained in every field of medicine, the
vast majority choose not to deliver their patients babies, or remove their appendixes
for them or carry out their breast enhancements. So you wonder why it's not the same in dentistry.
Exactly. It's concerning when you realise how many general dentists are referring fewer
and fewer of their patients for specialist care and are having a go themselves at treatments
traditionally in the specialists' domain. I see. So what should I be looking out for
when I'm searching online and ringing around to find the right general practice or specialist
for that matter? I hope I don't sound like a know-all, but
again I'm happy to share my experience in this regard. Do you have time for me to go
through the pitfalls point by point? Of course.
Here we go; number one, when you're looking online for a dental specialist like an oral
surgeon or a orthodontist for example, you can't rely on the search engine to provide
you with an authentic list. All too often the list is littered with general dentists
with no specialisation in the field. You have to do your own checks. The only way you can
cross check a specialist registration of a practicioner is on the official website of
the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation agency, known as AHPRA for short, and to do
so you will need the full name of the practitioner. I see.
Number two, beware of any website of a dental practice claiming to be experts in any field
when they have not clearly listed the names and exact qualifications of their clinicians.
Lifestyle websites, as they are sometimes called, don't clearly detail the names and
the qualifications of the dentist consulting at the practice. These websites are what are
termed 'call to action' sites. They aim to push the consumer as quickly as possible into
making an appointment. They don't have pictures or content featuring the actual practice and
the clinicians working there. Instead they focus on their call to action statements,
feel good imagery, big bold phone numbers and plenty of inducement offers.
Okay, I'm taking all this in. By the way, you should look our for words
like 'experience' or 'expert' or dentists claiming to have an interest in certain fields.
These claims can't be checked with any regulatory body within Australia, so you need to take
most of them with a grain of salt. Good advice.
Number three, when a dentists claims that they regularly attend post graduate courses
and study groups to stay abreast of advancements in dentistry, this isn't necessarily relevant.
All dentists in Australia must undertake a fairly extensive series of such courses just
to remain registered as a dentist. Therefore it's not necessarily an additional advantage.
That makes sense to me. What else? Number four, associations, societies, academies
and institutions are often simple to form and even simpler to join. Therefore, apart
from the mainstream Australian Dental Association and a handful of registered specialist associations,
membership of many of these may not equate to any measurable expertise in that field.
That's interesting. Number five, any positive reviews or testimonials
in the control of the dentist, for example on their website, in marketing material, on
Facebook and the like, is illegal in Australia. The law is there to protect the public from
being potentially misleading and deceptive advertising because there's nothing to prove
that the glowing reviews are not posted by the business itself and any negative reviews
are not posted by a competing business. Sounds like a really sensible law.
Number six, beware the really cheap dentists claiming to be an expert. Experts tend to
use the best laboratories, the best materials, the best skilled assistants and the latest
technologies. Therefore they can't match budget dentists on price.
Wow, while you take a deep breath, let's say I've done my research with all of that in
mind. I've now chosen the dentist I want to see. When I make my first appointment, what
questions should I ask? There are four main ones. One, are you a general
dentist or registered as a specialist in a particular field? Two, list the specific technology
you offer at your practice. Three, if I am having laboratory work done, for example veneers,
crowns, implants or dentures, can I meet the skilled technician who will be carrying out
the work with their own hands? Four, ask what specific quantifiable experience their clinician
has in the area of dentistry you are needing. Oh, and by the way, never assume a practitioner
is a registered specialist. It's not uncommon for reception staff to imply that their senior
clinicians are specialists, or refer to them as such, usually not realising there's an
official industry definition of the title, or not understanding the implications of such
an error. So always ask for clear confirmation that the clinician is a specialist or simply
check for yourself on the AHPRA website. And that's the end of my little lecture, Anna.
I hope you didn't find it overwhelming, it's just that there's a lot involved.
I agree with you on that. But I am grateful to you, Rob, for explaining it all so clearly.
You're always so knowledgable. Now I have the tools I need to continue my search. I'll
be back in touch if I need you to refresh my memory. Have a great afternoon.
See you, Anna.