How to choose a dentist in Singapore?

If you are coming to Singapore and want to find a dentist that fits your specific dental need according to the field of dentistry. If you’re thinking of doing implants and doing away with your dentures, then for heaven’s sake go to a dental surgeon that is that has undergone training in dental implantology. Here’s a list of the various fields that might help you save a lot of time and redundant effort bouncing from one dentist to another.

• Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS):
  Dental implants, wisdom teeth surgery, jaw surgery, sinus surgery, extraction, cyst removal
• Periodontist:
  Gum surgery, gum disease, deep scaling, root planning
• Prosthodontist:
  Crown, implant crown, bridges, veneers
• Orthodontist:
  Braces (metal, ceramic)
• Paediatricition:
  Children dentistry
• Endodontist:
  Root canal treatment
• General Practitioner:
  Scaling & polishing (fancy dental term for cleaning), restoration (another fancy term for fillings), teeth-whitening

Now that you are a bit more familiar with the different dentistry fields, you can search for a dentist in your area that does the exact treatment you want done.

Here are 11 factors to consider in choosing a dentist:

1. Find out how long the dentist has been in practice and how long the dental practice has been around.

2. To what degree of experience does the dentist have dealing with your specific dental need. If you want to do an implant surgery, what formal training has the dentist gone through to equip him with the necessary skills to execute the treatment.

3. Ask the dentist to explain to you all the possible option in dealing with your situation. If you are missing a tooth, he should explain to you the 3 options of; bridge, denture and an implant. Then ask him the pros and cons for each option before deciding.

4. Ask about the dental societies that the dentist participates in as well as what kind of continual education he has gone through recently. The Singapore Dental Council requires all practicing dentist to attend a certain number of hours per year so as to ensure that they are up to date with the latest technologies and methods in their field of dentistry.

5. How thorough is the dental examination: a conscientious dentist would not only check your teeth, but also your tongue, lips, inside of the cheek, palate, gums and skin of your face.

6. Ask the dentist to show you the before and after photos of the same procedures that you would like to undergo and ask him how close the results would be if you undergo the same treatment (Many Singapore dentists take before and after shots to put a patient’s mind at ease that he knows that he’s doing)

7. Find out clearly the total cost of the treatment including hospital charges, anaesthetist fees, facility fees and dental treatment fees.

8. Ask if the clinic is MEDISAVE approved. If the clinic is Medisave approved, you can use your medisave to pay a portion of the fees for surgical cases (cyst removal, dental implants, wisdom tooth surgery, gum surgery, sinus lift procedures, drainage of abscess).

9. How friendly and courteous are the staff and dentists from the clinic. You would probably not change dentist for a long time (maybe forever), so it is very important to feel at ease and comfortable with the receptionist, nurses and doctors.

10. Ask about what kind of patient centered comforts there are: music, movies and anesthetic methods.

11. What are the operating hours like; as your procedure might require multiple visits, you need to know when they are open (some clinics open only during office hours) so as to plan for leave of time off from your company.