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Communicating with your dentist is important for building trust and maximizing your dental care. Effective communication between a dentist and patient helps the patient to better understand his or her treatment options, reduces dental anxiety, and provides a better outcome for a patient's dental health. The best way to calm your fears is to establish a trusting relationship with your cosmetic dentist through open and honest communication, starting with the first visit. Your dentist is specially trained in handling and caring for fearful patients and can work with you to administer the safest, most comfortable care with each and every appointment. With advancements in technology, your Lakeview dentist utilizes an intraoral (I/O) camera to show you exactly what is going on in your mouth as he sees it. The dental health educator is also available to help explain treatments and procedures to make you more comfortable about receiving dental care and maintaining a comfortable environment. An Intraoral (I/O) Camera While x-rays provide valuable information that we can't get from any other source, they can't show your dentist everything that is going on in your mouth. This is why your Lakeview dentist has invested in an intraoral camera (I/O) - a highly advanced piece of diagnostic equipment that allows you to see what your dentist sees inside your mouth. The intraoral camera hand piece is approximately the size and shape of a dental mirror with a built-in light source. It serves as a tiny video camera that allows your dentist to zoom in on one tooth with 25 times the magnification, giving you a tour of your entire mouth. Images will be displayed on a television or computer monitor so that you will be able to see problems such as worn or broken fillings, plaque deposits, cavities and excessive wear. The images can also be printed to take home with you, allowing you to feel more comfortable with your treatment knowing what is going on in your mouth. Patient Educator Helps Patients The dental hygienist at your dentist's office acts as patient educator in order to help you understand potential and current dental health problems. Patient educators teach others by creating or editing educational materials, presenting the materials, and acting as consultants to dental companies. They may work in higher education, schools, public health, or, in this case, with your general dentist. A patient educator will provide oral health assessments, referrals and preventive services. They will also help to develop educational strategies and materials in order to help you change your oral health behaviors and deliver presentations and training programs on preventive dentistry. It is your dentist's patient educator that works closely with your dentist to provide optimum oral health care, while maintaining proper communication. Whether you choose a dentist in Lakeview or a dental professional elsewhere, it is difficult to receive appropriate treatment if you are not honest about your fears, pain and symptoms. For the best care, communication is the first step to receiving the most effective dental health care possible.
Sean Hartmen writes for Dr. Eliot Tokowitz, a leading dentist in Lakeview and Lincoln Park. Specializing in services including, but not limited to, veneers, TMJ treatment, Invisalign and dental implants in Gold Coast, Dr. Tokowitz is the premier choice for quality dental care patients can trust.
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