You know that when you go to the dentist for your appointment to have work done on your teeth, you are more than a little apprehensive. It is intimidating for most people to go to the dentist as they anticipate much pain once they are sitting in his chair. The dental assistant that is beside the dentist and aiding him during your treatment is usually the one who is responsible for putting the magazines out in the waiting room for patients to peruse before they go to the chair. It helps if the magazine can help to keep the patient's mind off the procedures to come.
Dental assistants realize that a good magazine can help alleviate the fears of the patient while they are waiting to be seen by the doctor. They usually make choices such as Time Magazine, Field and Stream, and Reader's Digest. These types of magazines include informative articles that can take the reader to another place, and help them to forget the reason why they are reading it in the first place. Most dentists bring in magazines from home and it offers the patient a bit of a glimpse into the type of person that is working on their teeth, really is. Not only do the patients get to find out a little bit more about their dentist, but the dentist and the staff get to know the kind of person you are by what you do with those magazines.
A dentist can use the magazines in his office as a gauge as to what kind of person he is dealing with. A person that reads finance or computer magazines gives the dentist a fair idea of how that person will feel if he has to raise his rates. A person that steals the magazines from an office is a good moral compass too. Some dentists will bill their patients for magazines they may have removed from the office.
Some dentists as well as doctors include magazines such as National Geographic, in order to give their patients something to think about other than the procedure they are facing. The patient becomes quickly involved with the beautiful photography that National Geographic is known for, and will often find engaging articles, that when their name is called, become startled upon hearing their name. This is a good sign that the magazines that the assistants and the rest of the staff have chosen are the perfect publication to be displayed in the office.
The magazines that are displayed can tell you where your dentist is in his financial life too. If he has magazines that are dedicated to boating and yachts, you can be sure that he is enjoying a healthy practice and making lots of money. The same can be said for dentists who have golfing magazines in their offices. Golf is not an inexpensive sport, and anyone involved enough has to be making a good living in order to enjoy golf properly. Green fees and club memberships don't come cheap these days.
When you walk into a dentist's office, there may be a few people who you do not recognize beyond the patient waiting area. Many dental offices are full of employees who each carry out a crucial part of the dental experience. Just because you are going to the dentist's office, this doesn't mean that you will only find dentists. You may find various team members of the dental office who are not specifically related to the dental process. To be more aware of your surroundings, here is a run down of the different dental team members in the office and how they contribute to the dental experience.
The first person you will probably come in contact with, whether you call ahead for an appointment or walk in, is the dental receptionist. This person is in charge of arranging the dentist's schedule and greeting patients as they walk in. The dental receptionist also takes care of the necessary paperwork which is needed in order to assess the patient's prior medical and dental history and the patient's insurance information. The dental receptionist is one of the most stressful and crucial roles in the dental office team.
The Insurance dental worker often deals with paperwork and meetings with patients. Some financial options are available for patients who may not be insured. Therefore, the insurance worker will work with patients in order to finance their dental needs. If there are any unresolved problems with a patient's insurance the insurance worker will normally take care of all unfinished business and make final decisions regarding issues with one's dental insurance.
The dental assistant will often be working side by side with the dentist as an apprentice in order to learn the trade. The dental assistant most often prepares the patients by welcoming them into the room, accompanying the patient while waiting for the dentist, answering questions, preparing materials for the dentist and assisting the dentist in whatever he or she needs during the dental patient's appointment. The dental assistant is the wing person for the dentist.
The dental hygienist is not a dentist. A dental hygienist usually performs varying tasks which range from taking x- ray photos of the patient's teeth, to polishing and cleaning a patient's teeth. Other tasks that a dental hygienist performs includes preparing for cavity work, including creating the cavity space and filling the tooth. A dental hygienists task duties are normally dictated by the state he or she is working in.
The dentist takes care of just about everything else that a patient needs done. He or she will examine the patient's teeth, make diagnosis and perform all other types of dental procedures. Such dental procedures include filling cavities, creating crowns, fitting crowns, extracting teeth and much more. Depending on whether a dentist is a general practitioner or a specialist, his or her duties may differ. For example, some dentists perform dental surgery including root canals, wisdom teeth extractions and teeth implants.
Get to know your dental office team upon your next visit.
Both James Brown & Dr. H. Chehayeb are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dr. H. Chehayeb has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dental Practice. Dr. H. Chehayeb,, is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University. He regularly upgrades his clinical skills by attending continuing. Dr. H. Chehayeb's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.