Patient-centered dentistry is a model of practice that is based on a partnership between you and your dental care providers. At New Hampshire Center for Comprehensive Dentistry the partnership includes your dentist, your hygienist and, by design, our whole team. A patient-centered dental practice puts your needs and concerns at the center of your care.
Every patient is a unique individual with different experiences, values and ideas about their health and dental care. While a traditional model of dentistry may diagnose a problem and offer a solution and a few standard options, patient-centered dentistry based on relationship transforms your experience into one of co-discovery and co-creation. Your plan of dental care becomes uniquely yours based on your wants and needs, your lifestyle and values as well as your concerns.
“Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.” – Albert Schweitzer
In patient-centered dentistry you are an active participant in the conversation, the exam process and in creating your plan of care. Our role is to create an environment that allows that to happen with time and resources as support; to engage with you during the exam so that you gain an understanding of your teeth, gums and supporting structures such as your jaw joint; and to present and discuss fully all the findings as discovered so that you are able to make informed choices for your care and ultimate outcome.
Relationship, Communication, Empathy
Creating a personalized relationship is the foundation to the patient centered dental care we provide. Connecting in relationship creates deeper understanding and builds trust that goes both ways between you and your dental team. It requires good communication skills to express thoughts and listen intently, as well as the ability to question and challenge to more fully understand.
Taking time to discuss your values, beliefs, past experiences and lifestyle (diet and nutrition, stress, etc.) and addressing your unique needs, wants and concerns are all part of good communication. While every patient has their own story and situation, we appreciate and empathize with the fear and concerns that often come up in conversation about dentistry. Our practice of non-judgmental caring and offering options for addressing those concerns provides support when needed yet keeps patients in control.
The Results of Patient-Centered Dentistry
We continually request feedback from our patients to assess their satisfaction with the level of care they are receiving. One patient wrote last week:
“After all of the negative experiences that I have had in the past I have to say that you have put faith back in me that someone really does care about the outcome. Thank you for making me feel comfortable and for taking the time to understand my concerns. I highly recommend your practice to all that are struggling with their dental care.”
The end result of patient-centered dentistry is a higher level of personalized care with greater satisfaction from our patients. It’s how we want to be cared for and what we believe to be in the best interest for all.
If you`d like to experience patient-centered dental care, please contact us. It will be our pleasure!