What Are the Qualities of a Good Dentist?

A dentist is a specialized and a qualified medical practitioner who specializes in treatment and general health of the teeth, gum and the mouth as part of human health. Just like in any other medical practice such as heart surgeons, opticians, otolaryngology or skin disorder specialists, dentists also require similar kinds of qualities relating to their line of duty. A dental doctor should exhibit these and more good qualities in his/her practice to attain success and satisfaction.

The dentist should be knowledgeable enough about his/her areas of specialization as the primary requirement. For instance, knowledge about different kinds of diseases that affect teeth, gum and the mouth should be at his/her fingertips. In addition, he /she should have a good idea of the symptoms that such diseases show and different way of treating and curing them. To be able to gather this knowledge, the dental doctor should undertake continuous and extensive research and seminars so as to keep abreast of any advances in medical discoveries regarding dentistry and dental care as a profession. In addition, a good dental doctor should be able to pass the acquired knowledge to his/her patients regarding good care of teeth and any good dental habits that help them maintain their overall health as human beings.

Surgical precision:
A good dentist should be able to perform surgical operations or any other such practices with a clear and sober mind. This is because dental operations just like in any kind of medical operations require maximum concentration, perfect precision, endurance and attention to detail. Any small mistake or error in a surgical operation may lead to a permanent damage to a patient's dental status or further complications may arise. Gentle and flexible handling of the process is necessary to carry on the process with the necessary traffic with causing accidents due to spillage or falling objects.

Excellent communication skills:
When communicating with any person that the dentist comes in contact with such as such a patient, a colleague or an assistant, a good dental doctor should be able to explain complex details in a way that can be easily understood by the recipient of that information. For instance, he should be able to explain to the patient in layman's possible way about different procedures available to assist him/her together with the details that are associated with this. The dentist's recommendations should not be biased, but the decision should be based on the patient's desires and only after considering the well explained facts.

Empathy:
A visit to a dentist is traditionally a dreaded choice to many during dental problems. However, with current developments in research and patient care, it has been discovered that genuine empathy with a patient develops courage in a patients to visit a dental doctor. A good dental practitioner is concerned about the patients feeling and empathizes with him/her during times of pain. This makes it easier for the patient to go though the procedure under reduced stress. A good way of starting to show empathy is by welcoming the patient in a warm way and then take the patient in through his/her interview comfortably without any rushing around about the details. The dental practitioner should handle the patient, not just like a client, but rather like a human to human relationship.

Patient Involvement:
A good dentist will always make the patient feel he/she is in control of all the processes involved in treatment procedures. The patient should be allowed to view all the heath records including x-rays and details be explained to him/her well. This way, the patient is at ease with the dental doctor and his/her confidence in the whole procedure is affirmed and therefore less stressful to both the dentist and the patient.