Second Opinions

Getting A Second Opinion About Dental Work

When to Get a Second Opinion

According to a survey of 2,000 adults, 70 percent of the participants said that they would seek a second opinion for home repair and improvement, about 50 percent would do so for major car repair and 30 percent for personal electronics repair. With regard to medical treatment, only 17 percent said that they would seek a second opinion for medical procedures and 6 percent for dental work. That means almost ten times as many people will get a second opinion on a procedure done to their car than done to their body!

We offer complimentary second opinion consultations to encourage patients to ask questions about their dental treatment. Trust but verify.

Wherever your plan comes from, you should be comfortable with your treatment choices.

Sometimes you may get a “gut” feeling that something isn’t right for you. Other times you may just want to confirm that you are going down the right path with a doctor you trust. A consultation with a fresh set of eyes can also open new doors and show you other possibilities that you may not have looked at with another doctor.

Here are some top reasons why you might want to get a second opinion about dental treatment.

1. Your dentist has given you a major diagnosis, such as possible oral cancer or a complete mouth rebuild.
2. You have already had dental work done but your problem has not been solved.
3. You recently changed dentists and suddenly require significant or expensive treatment.
4. It does not seem to you that your dentist has the experience to properly treat your condition.
5. You do not have a good rapport with your dentist.

In these situations it’s smart to ask another professional before you make any major treatment decisions.

The Second Opinion Consultation

We reserve about a half hour for your second opinion consultation.

They are not clinical examinations so we will not be taking x-rays or any kind of clinical records. We won’t need any payment or insurance information and only need some basic health information. It is time to review and discuss the treatment that was already presented to you. We will help you to consider other treatment options and get more information. Lastly, your consultation is a great opportunity to get to know us and see if you are comfortable in our practice.

The more information you bring with you, the better we can help you. You should send (or bring) copies of the records used to plan your treatment.

Usually this will include…

• Your most recent x-rays
• Treatment plan recommendations
• Gum charting
• Photographs
• Tooth models or 3D scans

If a dental specialist is involved, you may wish to obtain records from them as well.

Most of all, it is important to head into your appointment prepared with any questions you may have to make the most of your time with us.

There is no pressure nor any obligation to commence treatment in our office.