Any place can patients find out the reputations of a dentist?

Any place can patients find out the reputations of a dentist?

Any place can patients find out the reputations of a dentist?

Any place can patients find out the reputations of a dentist?

If you are referring to if a dentist has ever temporarily lost his/her
licence or received disciplinary action, you can call up the
state/provincial regulator and ask them. Keep in mind that this may not
tell you anything about their current abilities.

If you are wondering how good someone's skills are, the only way is to ask
others or experience their treatment yourself. Any website review is just
skewed information posted by someone who either had a great or aweful
experience, with the latter being far more commonly reported despite the way
more people who have experienced the former.

J Suljak DDS

Any website review is just
skewed information posted by someone who either had a great or aweful
experience, with the latter being far more commonly reported despite the way
more people who have experienced the former.

J Suljak DDS

On Feb 7, 11:18 am, "John & Ninetta" <jsul...@sentex.net> wrote:

Any website review is just
skewed information posted by someone who either had a great or aweful
experience, with the latter being far more commonly reported despite the way
more people who have experienced the former.

J Suljak DDS


Actually that's not the case - the number of positive reviews on these
types of websites far outweigh the number of negative reviews
(statistically speaking).

I think that these rating sites are subject to manipulation either
way. The doc's whole staff and family could stuff the box with positive
ratings.
Most patients don't know these sites exist--but most doctors do.

Steve

When I did a search in Kansas City, there was a disclaimer that
the results would not be completely inclusive. 186 dentists had asked
to be removed from the 'service'.

I wasn't listed, but I'm just an old country hack.

;-)
D

I think that these rating sites are subject to manipulation either
way. The doc's whole staff and family could stuff the box with
positive ratings.
Most patients don't know these sites exist--but most doctors do.

Steve

P.S. This type of rating site would be much more useful for large
cities than small towns. In a small town everyone knows if the dentist
is good or not, word gets around. And I think if you are going to work
in a small town, you'd BETTER be a damn good dentist!

But in the Big City, bad dentists proliferate, in part perhaps because
they need to see a LOT of patients in order to pay the high rent, etc.
then hire more help, and the next thing you know you've got a cattle
call.

But even the small offices in big cities - a bad dentist can operate
and get more patients in spite of his lack of skill, just because
there is a constant influx of new people looking for a new dentist. So
if that dentist sends out flyers "$25 cleaning" or whatever, he will
get patients in spite of how lousy a dentist he is, just because
people are always looking for a new dentist and they find it difficult
to get personal recommendations. So they go with the flyer and get
caught up with a bad dentist.

I'm not saying all dentists who send out flyers are bad, just that
this is one way a bad dentist keeps operating in a big city.

JimSocal wrote:
P.S. This type of rating site would be much more useful for large
cities than small towns. In a small town everyone knows if the dentist
is good or not, word gets around. And I think if you are going to work
in a small town, you'd BETTER be a damn good dentist!

I'm kinda a lurker, coming out of lurking for a bit. My parents live in
a TINY town (more cows than people) and about half the town sees the
local dentist, the other half thinks he's a quack. His dentistry may be
marginal, but I think it has more to do with his VERY controversial (and
sometimes offensive) political opinions, that he forces upon everyone in
his chair.



But in the Big City, bad dentists proliferate, in part perhaps because
they need to see a LOT of patients in order to pay the high rent, etc.
then hire more help, and the next thing you know you've got a cattle
call.

But even the small offices in big cities - a bad dentist can operate
and get more patients in spite of his lack of skill, just because
there is a constant influx of new people looking for a new dentist. So
if that dentist sends out flyers "$25 cleaning" or whatever, he will
get patients in spite of how lousy a dentist he is, just because
people are always looking for a new dentist and they find it difficult
to get personal recommendations. So they go with the flyer and get
caught up with a bad dentist.

I'm not saying all dentists who send out flyers are bad, just that
this is one way a bad dentist keeps operating in a big city.

As for finding a good dentist, what one person really likes in a dentist
may not be right for another. There is another dentist, that is highly
recommended by the half of the town that doesn't go to the local one. He
has a main practice in the big city (where I live) about an hour away,
and he has a satellite practice in a small town about half an hour away.
He is generally regarded as a good dentist. My parents and all my
family see him. So, when my parents (five years ago now) decided I
needed to go to a dentist (because I hadn't been in five years, a
phobic, and as soon as I moved away from my good middle school/high
school dentist, and was on my own stopped going), they of course signed
me up with him. I'm sure I could have read good things on a site about
him, or asked around and heard some not so good things, but he seemed a
good choice. He did fine for my parents. They explained my phobia to
the hygienist, who was pretty decent, and to him, and I filled out in
detail about it on the intake form. (I was on disability for a mental
illness at the time, off now and working and doing well in that
department. I had medicaid, which covered dental at the time, and I
think may have made this dentist not so happy to treat me--many
docs/dentists/etc. aren't so fond of medicaid patients, as they often
are not as responsible as other patients and medicaid doesn't pay much
etc.). He was not at all sympathetic to my needs, and in fact almost
refused to treat me mid-procedure. But, I managed to get the couple of
fillings I needed done, though not comfortably. He does not have gas
equipment in his satellite office, but he does in his main office. He
did not mention this at ALL to me (even though my parents would have
paid for it if medicaid didn't cover it), and he did not offer valium or
anything, just novacaine, and he didn't tell me when he was going to put
his hands in my mouth, just started doing it, NOT what works for me. The
dentist I had before was well trained in pain/phobia management, and did
a great job with me.

Well, He may be a fine dentist for my family, but not for me. So, it is
great to ask around, look at sites and what not, and get as much
information as you can, but the ultimate test is the appointment, and
how it goes for you. If you don't like the dentist, find a new one.

I made a resolution this year to find a good dentist I can work with. I
asked for a Christmas gift to have a visit with an oral sedation dentist
who specializes in phobics. I know I need to take better care of my
teeth (though they are actually fine amazingly! I do have some gum
issues, but those will soon resolve now that I will get a thorough
cleaning (2 visits, cause there's a lot of cleaning since it's been so
long), and my parents are getting off the hook easy, since I need no
fillings/sedation (except some valium), and my dental insurance is great
for the prophylacitc stuff, just not for the problems. I had my
appointment with this dentist a couple of weeks ago, and SHE IS
AWESOME!! Her whole staff is, and they really know how to make phobics
feel better (even the receptionists). SO, I am confident I have found
the right dentist for me for life.

So, even with all the good info in the world, the actual appointment is
really the key. If it doesn't go well, find another dentist. Sure, do
research, and find out some things first, there can be red flags that
will tip you off it won't go well ahead of time, but until you meet the
dentist and see how you interact with him/her you won't know for sure.
If the dentist doesn't meet your specific needs/expectations, then find
one who does.
Just my $.02

Emily

I use rating sites for many things, and I wish there was a ratings
site for dentists and doctors and chiropractors, etc.. I've even
thought of starting one for doctors and dentists, and HMO's, dental
plans, etc..

There are always negative reviews, because it's true that people with
problems are more motivated to write a review. However there are many
people who like to write, and will write positive reviews as well.

One can sort through it all and realize that everything is going to
have negative reviews; you just have to sort through and separate it
out, realizing that some people have bad experiences that does not
mean the service or product is bad, especially if it has some positive
reviews as well.

It's like software reviews: When reading reviews of software, you
ALWAYS find a percentage - maybe 10% or more - who say "This software
totally screwed up my computer!" But when you see that 80-90%
installed it without it screwing up their computer, you realize it's
probably safe to buy it, if it otherwise seems to have good reviews. I
have found reading software reviews to be very useful, regardless of
this dynamic of people bitching because they had a problem with
something.

I think a review site for dentists and doctors would be the same. You
would tend to get a lot of negatives because those are the people who
are most motivated to bitch about their bad experience. However, you
would ultimately get a balanced amount of reviews, as more people used
the site to search for a dentist or doctor in their new area, for
example. If the dentist or doctor put up a sign or gave out a card
that said "If you had a positive experience with me, please take a few
minutes to report it atwww.doctorreviews.info", for example, I think
once the site got a lot of reviews, they would balance out to really
indicate whether or not the doctor was good or not.

As one who reads a lot of reviews on products, I think it would
balance out, and only the bad dentists would get slammed. The fact is,
there ARE a lot of bad dentists and doctors. Probably no more than
other professions, it's just that these bad service providers have
more of a negative impact on your life.

I wish I could have had reviews on some of the dentists I've gone to,
who've totally screwed up and caused my wife and I problems. It turns
out, for example, I talked to 2 other people after the fact, who had
bad experiences with one of these same dentists.

I use rating sites for many things, and I wish there was a ratings
site for dentists and doctors and chiropractors, etc.. I've even
thought of starting one for doctors and dentists, and HMO's, dental
plans, etc..

There are always negative reviews, because it's true that people with
problems are more motivated to write a review. However there are many
people who like to write, and will write positive reviews as well.

One can sort through it all and realize that everything is going to
have negative reviews; you just have to sort through and separate it
out, realizing that some people have bad experiences that does not
mean the service or product is bad, especially if it has some positive
reviews as well.

It's like software reviews: When reading reviews of software, you
ALWAYS find a percentage - maybe 10% or more - who say "This software
totally screwed up my computer!" But when you see that 80-90%
installed it without it screwing up their computer, you realize it's
probably safe to buy it, if it otherwise seems to have good reviews. I
have found reading software reviews to be very useful, regardless of
this dynamic of people bitching because they had a problem with
something.

I think a review site for dentists and doctors would be the same. You
would tend to get a lot of negatives because those are the people who
are most motivated to bitch about their bad experience. However, you
would ultimately get a balanced amount of reviews, as more people used
the site to search for a dentist or doctor in their new area, for
example. If the dentist or doctor put up a sign or gave out a card
that said "If you had a positive experience with me, please take a few
minutes to report it atwww.doctorreviews.info", for example, I think
once the site got a lot of reviews, they would balance out to really
indicate whether or not the doctor was good or not.

As one who reads a lot of reviews on products, I think it would
balance out, and only the bad dentists would get slammed. The fact is,
there ARE a lot of bad dentists and doctors. Probably no more than
other professions, it's just that these bad service providers have
more of a negative impact on your life.

I wish I could have had reviews on some of the dentists I've gone to,
who've totally screwed up and caused my wife and I problems. It turns
out, for example, I talked to 2 other people after the fact, who had
bad experiences with one of these same dentists.