It was a slow afternoon in my clinic. I was just sitting and reading on my tablet, when a young boy of about 20-21 yrs age walked in.
” Hello Doctor, Would we be able to achieve a ferrule in this case? “
He said while opening his lips slightly to show me his broken central incisor.
I was slightly shocked as its not everyday that you hear this from a patient. This guy must be a dentist or may be a dental student, I thought. He wasn’t.
I made him sit on the dental chair and started to examine him. I asked him a few questions and had a small discussion about his history, etc.
He took out a paper from his packet and had a “few” (Actually many) questions written on it.
- What are the options we have?
- A post core would be better than an implant or not?
- Will we be able to achieve a ferrule for the crown?
- Will we need a post?
- What if we use no post?
- What type of post?
- Custom cast metal post core or prefabricated?
- A metal post will be better or a fiber post?
- Why?
- A parallel post or a tapered post? why?
- What kind of cement will we use?
- When and if it fails what will fail? The root or the post/crown?
- When and if it fails, will we be able to put another post/crown?
- ………………….
- …………………. etc.
Why don’t you appear for Final Year BDS Viva? You may do better than many BDS students out there. I asked him.
I myself was feeling like sitting in a viva exam. But i loved it. I loved answering all his questions and clearing his doubts about different things.
His main concern was that he wanted an option which would be most conservative and even though not the most durable but will ensure least damage to the remaining tooth structure. We had a long discussion and together arrived at a treatment plan to suit his needs. And yes, we were able to achieve a ferrule in his case. ( See the case Below)
Not only he but his whole family are now my patients who trust me for their dental health.
The Crux of the matter
Most of the times, doctors do not like patients who “Google” as it questions their supremacy. A patient who asks questions or seeks an explanation is often shunned by the doctors.
I differ in my opinion, I love patients who google. A patient who reads about his problems on the internet is a very informed and aware patient. He is much more likely to accept treatment than a regular guy as he is aware of the consequences of no treatment. The only thing he needs is a knowledgeable and confident doctor who can present scientifically correct treatment plan with pros and cons for various options. He is usually not testing your knowledge with his questions but is actually concerned about his health and wants to be an active partner in deciding the best suited options. You yourself really need to be knowledgeable and updated for this. (perhaps that may be one reason doctors don’t like such patients.)
I believe, if we have to get a website made, we would expect the web designer to explain what he is doing and why, even though i may not have as much knowledge about websites as him. We at Dentessence , try to identify with our patients and always encourage our patients to understand why we do, what we do.
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So if you are looking for a dentist in noida you know where to look. We would encourage you to read a bit about your dental concerns and ask us a “few” questions.. We would love to answer them.
You may contact us on 9811334005 or www.dentessence.com.
-Dr. Gaurav Kumar Goel, MDS (Prosthodontics)
(The views of the author are personal)