The Qualities of a Great Oral Surgeon

Great Oral Surgeon Qualities Happy Clients

Whether you need to have your wisdom tooth extracted, you suffer from a temporomandibular joint disorder or you are faced with some other type of dental problem that requires treatment by an oral surgeon, you surely want to be treated by the best available doctor. Oral Surgeon highland park areas specialize in the treatment of dental issues that require surgery or an approach that is more complex than the approaches that general dentists can provide – here are the qualities to look for when choosing the specialist to turn to.

Training and Licensing

To obtain a license, an oral surgeon needs to attend four years of college, followed by four years of medical school and several years of residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery. When their training is complete, oral surgeons also need to obtain board certification and a license in the state in which they want to practice. Before you choose your oral surgeon, check all these credentials and don’t be shy to ask the doctors any questions you have about their training and license.

Specialization and Experience

Oral surgery is a vast and varied area of medicine and not all oral surgeons specialize in the same types of procedures. The best choice is obviously a doctor who has long experience in treating the type of problem that you have – for example, if you need a dental implant, it is not a good idea to turn to a doctor who specializes in extractions. Most oral surgeons have portfolios that you can check and you can also ask them about their experience with the type of intervention that you need – the best choice is a doctor who has long and extensive experience in the area of treatment that you are looking for.

References and Reputation

The first source of information used by the patients looking for an oral surgeon is usually their general dentist – it is usually the dentist who identifies the problem that needs specialized treatment and it is also the dentist who refers the patient to a surgeon. It is usually a good idea to check the reputation of the oral surgeon that is recommended to you – ask around among the people you know to find out whether they know anything about the surgeon and you can also check the online reviews and ratings provided by the doctor’s previous patients.

The Oral Surgeon’s Personality

Any type of surgical intervention, including oral surgery, is a serious intervention, so you need to have complete trust in your doctor and you need to feel comfortable in your doctor’s presence. The best way to ensure that is to schedule visits with multiple oral surgeons – the way the doctors talks to you, the way they answer your questions, their willingness to walk you through the procedure will reveal a lot about their personality. Don’t forget, that initial visit does not come with any obligations – if you don’t feel that the doctor you are visiting is the right one for you, feel free to thank them for their opinion and continue looking for the right specialist.