Lakeside DentalAt Lakeside Dental in Moses Lake, we take great pride in offering quality dental care to our many patients. We take the responsibility of caring for your oral health quite seriously, and we always keep your best interests in mind when recommending or performing any work. But even knowing that, you probably have some worries about receiving dental care.

The best way to overcome those worries is asking questions. This is your oral health we are talking about, after all, so you should feel entitled to have all of your questions answered before we proceed with any planned care. Asking questions doesn’t mean that you lack trust in your dentist, or anyone else. It simply means you want all of the information you can acquire before moving forward. And there is nothing wrong with that at all.

With that background, we would like to offer you a list of a few questions that you would be wise to ask before committing to dental work.

Insurance Questions

This is a great place to start. If you have dental insurance, it will be important to confirm that your dentist is able to accept that insurance. The cost of your care could dramatically increase if your insurance cannot be accepted, so don’t go too far into the process without confirmation on this point. Fortunately, a good dental office will usually be able to provide you with a quick answer, as this is a question they are used to receiving.

What Are the Payment Options?

Continuing with the financial theme, you will also want to know what the terms will be with regard to your bill. When is the balance due? Can you make payments over time without incurring any late fees? Make sure you are comfortable with the terms of your bill before you proceed with having work done by a specific dentist. You don’t want your experience to turn into a negative one as a result of unexpected late fees and other charges.

What Are the Risks Associated with This Procedure?

Depending on the type of work you are having done, there may be some risks to consider. Of course, it is wise to ask upfront about the risks you will be taking on if you move forward. A good dentist will never suggest a procedure that puts the patient at undue risk, but it is still a question worth asking. If you aren’t comfortable with the stated risks, you may need to pursue alternative forms of treatment for your condition. It is too late to think about the risks after the work has been done, so get ahead of the game and talk about this point in ahead of time. Dr. Shumway a Spokane Valley dentist says that asking about the risks with a procedure also gives you peace of mind and can help you better prepare for any care you need to do after the procedure is completed.

Are There Any Alternatives?

If you are not particularly comfortable with the type of work being proposed, ask your dentist if there are other options. There may or may not be other ways to deal with the issue you are facing, but it never hurts to ask. When making any decision – whether it is regarding your oral health or anything else – gathering as much information as possible is your best bet. Find out directly from your dentist if there are any other ways to approach the issue. You can make an informed decision when you have taken the time to weigh all of the various options.

What Will the Bill Look Like?

Getting back to the financial side of things for a minute, ask the dentist’s office for as much detail as possible about the cost of your upcoming work. It might not be possible to nail down an exact cost, as things can change during the procedure, but ask for as much detail as possible. No one likes to receive a surprise bill, whether from the dentist or anyone else. A good dental office will be able to provide you with a reasonable accounting of the expected charges, so you can plan accordingly.

What Do You Need to Know About Recovery?

Everyone thinks to ask about recovery when seeing a doctor for a surgery, but that question doesn’t come up as often in the dental world. It should, however, as your recovery can be an important part of the process in many cases. Depending on the work you need to have done, you might need to make some accommodations for a few days as you heal up. For instance, you might not be able to drive due to medications that you’ll be taking, or you may not be able to work for a short period of time. Even if there are no formal restrictions on what you can and can’t do, lingering discomfort from the work may cause disruption in your usual schedule. Be perfectly clear about the recovery process in advance so you can be prepared.

Don’t worry about offending your dentist by asking questions related to your care. A good dentist wants his or her patients to feel comfortable at all times and therefore will be willing to answer questions openly and honestly. At Lakeside Dental, we welcome all of your questions, and we will do our best to provide the answers you need.

Remember, you always play a critical role in your own care. Whether at the dentist’s office or the doctor’s office, you need to represent yourself and ask all of the questions you have in mind. Those questions may be financial in nature, or they may be directly related to the care you are being provided.

If you are already a Lakeside Dental patient, please feel free to contact the office to make an appointment. If you have not yet come to see us, you are welcome to call or stop by to learn more about our services. Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog, and we hope to see you soon!