Can I trust my dentist? How do I know if I really need the work?
Dentists hold a position of trust with their patients; dentistry, as a profession, is bound by a code of ethics.
That said, dentists are people, too, and professional opinions in this field may vary as widely as in other fields.
Some dentists will inevitably favor an aggressive approach; others will work as conservatively as possible. Most will tend to favor the methods and approaches that were drilled into them, so to speak, in dental school. Some like to try new and cutting-edge approaches, others stick to the tried-and-true. Adherents to both approaches will tell you that they’re right.
A funny fact—A study published by the British Dental Journal in 2014 found that opinions on how one should best brush one’s teeth vary widely between dentists and textbooks and toothbrush manufacturers. “Unacceptably inconsistent,” concluded the study, about this variation. Sort of embarrassing, but it does illustrate the point that there can be disagreement on even the most commonplace of issues.
At the end of the day, however, we’re dealing with issues that can be seen. When you’ve got questions, ask to take a look at your chart. If something doesn’t make sense to you, ask us to explain it again. If that doesn’t work, try getting a second opinion from a dentist in rockville.
It’s worth mentioning, also, that there’s rarely only one way to fix an issue. Whenever possible, we’ll explain the different possible approaches. If we’re suggesting a more expensive option, it’s always because we think it’ll be more effective, or cost-effective, in the long run.