How to choose a dentist

My husband and I recently had to find a contractor in Portland, Oregon, while we live in southern California. Since we didn’t have the benefit of having a word of mouth referral, we turned to the internet to search for one. I happened upon a web based company that acts as a referral source for contractors. The referral company gave me the contact information for three supposedly “pre-screened” and “excellent” contractors. In the process of speaking with one of those contractors I asked how he became part of that company’s referral network. He said that he had to pay 50 dollars for each referral that was sent his way. So, if a contractor pays to be part of a referral network, then are they truly prescreened and excellent at what they do?

After my experience of looking for a contractor, I started thinking about how I would choose a dentist if I was new to an area and had no idea where to go.

There are a couple of ways I would not look for a dentist. For instance, I would not even bother to contact a dental referral service such as 1-800-DENTIST. To be a prescreened member of that service, the dentist pays nearly $2000 per month. Also, I don’t think I would look in the phone book due to the limited amount of information in a print ad.

The first thing I would do is an online search for local dentists in my area, using a search engine such as Yahoo local pages, google, or superpages. Then I would look over the websites of the various dentists that came up in my area. Most websites provide a pretty good look and feel of the dentist, the practice scope, hours office is open, emergency patient information, insurance plans accepted, and payment plans.

All 50 U.S. states individually license their dentists. In California you can do a search on the dental board’s website for a dentist’s license. The website will tell you how long a dentist has been licensed, the status of the license, and if there are any outstanding complaints against them.

Another avenue I might consider in finding a dentist is calling an oral surgery office and asking for a referral. There are usually a limited number of such offices and they will have contact with a large number of the general dentists in town.

Finally, I would call any potential dentists I was interested in seeing, to ascertain the availability of appointments and whether or not the dentist makes patients wait. I want to know that if I ever were to have a dental emergency that the dentist would be able to see me relatively soon.

In my office, we try and see all new patients within two weeks of their initial phone call. We almost always run on time, because I can’t stand to make people wait. And when someone has an emergency I see them the same day. If a patient has an emergency over a weekend then I am available via my pager. Lately, I have been receiving quite a number of new patients over the internet that have seen my website or seen a review of my practice. The internet definitely has a wealth of information!

Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com

living with my parents

I am almost 30 years old, married, have a baby, and a profession and am living with my parents. My husband and I were living about 30 miles away from my office and our daycare (my parents) when our son was born last June. It became readily apparent that commuting with a baby was out of the question, so we decided to rent out our house and move in with my parents. Also, I wanted to take some time off from work and wouldn't be making a paycheck during that time. I hadn't lived with my parents since high school and I was skeptical how it was all going to work out.

It is now 10 months later and I couldn't be happier with my current living situation. The best thing about it is the built in child care. My son has two loving grandparents that are willing to watch him at any time. I think it really does take a village to raise a child. In a couple of months my husband and I will have the means to move out on our own, but we are contemplating waiting another year until our son is a little older.

Unfortunately in our society it is expected that once kids finish school they are expected to live on their own. According to a CBS article posted in October 2006, "Half of this year's graduates have moved back home and 44 percent of last year's graduates are still there, while 34 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds get cash from mom and dad — an average of $3,410 a year." So, perhaps my situation of living with my parents isn't totally odd. I feel so fortunate to have my parents support! My husband and I look at each other daily and wonder how we would manage without them. Personally, I don't know how I would continue to work without their constant love and babysitting assistance.

Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com

hiring an employee that will fit with your team

I ask all potential employees to fill out a Keirsey/Myers Briggs personality profile. As an ISFJ myself, I have found that I work better with some personality types compared to others. Also, I have noticed that my personality profile relates to certain strengths and weaknesses that I bring to the work place. Currently I have three ESFJs on staff and one ENFJ. We all get along great and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we are all Feeling and Judging types.

I was first introduced to David Keirsey's book Please Understand Me and his personality profiling by a dental practice consultant. At the time I had a mixture of staff that was not getting along and was making my life miserable. Since reading the book I have given much credence to the personality profiles of potential staff.

According to my practice consultant, a majority of female dental staff are ESFJs. An individual with this personality type is described as a people person, caregiver, warm, and energetic. These are all great traits for dental assistants that need to make people feel at ease in the dental chair, as well as be able to run around and manage the office for the doctor. My staff member that is an ENFJ is of a type that supposedly has the best people skills of any other personality type. I would agree with that analysis of her personality. In addition to her communication skills, she is also bright and highly organized.

I am an ISFJ which is described as "Quiet, kind, and conscientious. Can be depended on to follow through. Usually puts the needs of others above their own needs. Stable and practical, they value security and traditions. Well-developed sense of space and function. Rich inner world of observations about people. Extremely perceptive of other's feelings. Interested in serving others." I think my strengths in respect to my personality type are that I am a good listener regarding patient needs and am responsible and loyal to my staff. However, my weaknesses are that I avoid confrontation with staff and have difficulty telling patients they need to have work done.

So, if you want a people person, loyal, caring employee hire an ESFJ or ENFJ. And if want a dentist that will feel just as bad as you do that you need dental work, hire an ISFJ.

Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
http://www.dentist4smiles.com/

three teeth and counting...

It has been a week since my nine month son slept through the night and he hasn't done it since. Part of the problem is he has only three teeth. Teeth erupt in pairs and so far his teeth have followed a normal pattern of tooth eruption (ie. lower centrals first, upper centrals second). However, only one of his upper centrals has erupted so far and it was visible about two weeks ago. The other central is taking its time and is pushing on his gums. My son's teething issues became painfully apparent last night when he had a crying fit at one o'clock in the morning and he refused to breastfeed. Unfortunately, I can't surgically move the gum out of they way so I must wait until it happens on its own.

Baby or primary teeth are always left to erupt on their own time table. Permanent teeth are a slightly different story. For instance, the permanent first molars are supposed to erupt between 5 and 6 years of age. Most parents don't even realize that these teeth have erupted because no baby teeth are lost before these teeth arrive. First molars come in behind all of the baby teeth. If a child is 8 or 9 years old and these teeth haven't erupted, then they might need surgical or orthodontic intervention.

My father works with me (he is a general dentist too) and he frequently helps people in need through our local Lutheran Social Services. He recently saw an eighteen year old girl in the office that was having persistent pain on the upper right and left sides of her mouth. The girl and her mom both thought that the teeth giving her trouble were her baby teeth. She hadn't seen a dentist in eight years due to a lack of money and no insurance. In fact the actual teeth that were causing so much pain were her permanent first molars. On a side note, all baby teeth are usually lost by about twelve years of age. The teeth were so badly broken down and decayed that they were unrestorable and had to be extracted.

The moral to this sad story is that it is important to know when teeth are supposed to erupt and to seek professional dental guidance when they don't appear on schedule or when pain is present. Also, we should demand better access to care for dental problems in children. Last year an uninsured 12 year old in Maryland, Deamonte Driver, died from complications that arose after an untreated tooth infection spread to his brain. A bill named the Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008 has been introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD). Let's hope that this bill will become law and that it will make a difference. In the meantime, my father and I are committed to helping get children out of pain, even when funds are limited. No child should have to die in this country due to a tooth infection.

Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com

bonding versus veneers

Sometimes in dentistry there are a couple of ways of achieving a similar aesthetic result. Bonding with tooth colored composites or cementing on porcelain veneers are two such techniques that can be used to fix the size and shape of teeth. Deciding which method to use can be confusing because there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Bonding with tooth colored composites is a relatively inexpensive, reversible procedure that can be used to fix chipped teeth or to close gaps between teeth. In order to bond composite to the tooth surface, the tooth is micro-etched, a bonding agent is light cured to the surface, and then the composite material to light cured over the bonding agent. This is usually a completely additive process and it is done directly in the office. The general cost for this procedure is between $150 and $500 per tooth, depending on the size of the restoration required.

Porcelain veneers are a more costly procedure involving two appointments about two weeks apart. Teeth are slightly prepared to accommodate the size of a porcelain shell, an impression of the prepared teeth is taken, and a dental laboratory makes a thin layers of porcelain for each tooth. The veneers are permanently cemented to the teeth. The cost for a porcelain veneer ranges anywhere from $1000 to $2000 per tooth, depending on the dental office.

Basically, if teeth have small chips or gaps, but no other issues, then bonding with composites makes good economic and long term sense for the health of the tooth. However, if the teeth have color, rotation, or crowding issues, then porcelain veneers allow for more flexibility and better aesthetic results. Porcelain veneers can be used in nearly any instance that bonding would be appropriate. Bonding cannot fix all the things that veneers can transform. To know which would work best for you, collaborate with your dentist!

Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com

the most exciting thing happened last night

When choosing a career I was heavily influenced by the concept of having a flexible schedule so I could have family and work balance. My father is a dentist and he always seemed to have more time for family than my mother who is an accountant. While in my second year of college I decided to apply to dental school and within a few months I was accepted at UCLA's School of Dentistry.

It has been ten years since deciding I wanted to become a dentist and much has changed in my life since then. I now have a husband, a baby, and a career. Since having the baby my thoughts on the career part have changed. The baby is a full time, all night job, in itself. Dentistry does allow for a flexible schedule. Since having my son this past June I was able to take two months off and I am now working 3.5 days a week. What I didn't account for was the sleepless nights and the need for support outside sources to be able to make it to work each morning.

My parents and husband have been incredibly supportive throughout this new transition of having a baby. Both of my parents help watch my son while I am at work. My husband agreed to do a long commute to his job so we could be closer to my office and our child care. So today like every Thursday I was able to spend a full day at the dental office. Today though was an extra special day and it was because for the first night in nine months my son slept through the night.

Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320