Has anyone ever had a dentist who actually asked how much info you wanted before diving in? That feels pretty rare in my experience, but maybe I’ve just had chatty dentists...
Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. My daughter’s dentist is a talker—like, I know her dog’s name and her favorite cereal now. But when it comes to the actual procedures, she’ll just launch into a TED talk about enamel and bacteria unless I stop her. I’d honestly love a “choose your own adventure” option, especially since my kid gets nervous if she hears too much detail. Less is more for us… unless we’re talking about stickers at the end.
she’ll just launch into a TED talk about enamel and bacteria unless I stop her.
That cracks me up because my last dentist was the total opposite—barely said a word unless I asked. I actually kind of prefer getting the details, but sometimes it’s just overload. When I was looking for someone for implants, I realized how much communication style mattered. Did anyone else find that their dentist’s way of explaining things (or not) made them more or less confident about going through with implants?
Honestly, I kind of wish my dentist would go on a little about enamel and bacteria—mine just hands me the bill and says, “See you in six months.” When I was looking into implants, though, I realized I needed someone who’d actually answer my questions, especially since it’s such a big expense. If they’re not willing to explain what I’m paying for, it just makes me second-guess everything... especially with how much this stuff costs. Communication style totally changed how confident I felt about moving forward.
That’s exactly what I ran into when I started braces—my first orthodontist barely explained anything, just gave me a timeline and a bill. It made me super anxious about every adjustment. When you were looking for someone to do your implants, did you find it hard to tell if a dentist would actually take the time to answer questions, or did you just have to book consults and see how it went? I always wonder if there’s a way to spot the good communicators before you’re in the chair...
Honestly, I had the same worry. I’m super anxious about dental stuff, and after some not-so-great experiences with orthodontists, I really didn’t want to end up with an implant dentist who just rushed me through everything. For me, it was kind of a mix—I did book a couple consults since it’s hard to know for sure from just online reviews or websites. But before even booking, I’d call the office and ask whoever answered about how the dentist handles questions and what the consult is like. If they acted annoyed or gave super vague answers, that was already a red flag for me.
One thing that helped was reading patient reviews that mentioned things like “explained everything” or “answered all my questions.” Not foolproof, but at least better than nothing. Also, during the consults, if the dentist seemed rushed or didn’t let me finish asking stuff, I just…didn’t go back. Felt awkward at first but honestly saved me a ton of stress later on.
It’s still kind of luck of the draw though. I wish there was some magic way to tell who’s actually going to listen before you’re sitting in the chair feeling nervous...
