When trying to care for your teeth, it can become challenging to find a dentist that you can trust to give you the best care and make your smile a proud part of your look. Antoine Skaff helped us understand what important considerations must be taken into account when looking for a dentist, and how to ensure that you understand the various aspects of your dental journey from choosing the right treatment plan to understanding your insurance.
In his practice, Antoine Skaff performed various procedures on his many clients. “As a dentist, I practice general dentistry from hygiene to restorative dentistry to periodontal, which is gum treatment to endodontics, which is root canals to oral surgery and prosthodontics. Prosthodontics is a specialty of replacing teeth,” says Antoine Skaff.
His various skills, life experiences, and the many treatments that were available at his practice are what put him in the perfect position to help advise people on what to look for in a potential dentist. What is interesting about the current field of dentistry, however, is that there are many changes and innovations. “Dentistry is at its best right now. They’re always coming out with new technologies, new techniques, better equipment, and better materials,” says Antoine Skaff.
This is why it is vital to know how to choose the right dentist without getting lost in all the many treatment plans. Antoine Skaff says, “I’d say the patients should always evaluate their options. Whether it’s between the older experienced dentist that had done many years of dentistry or the younger dentist that has more knowledge about the recent techniques and the newer materials on the market and procedures and so on.”
When trying to figure out a treatment plan, Antoine Skaff advises patients to look at more than just the cost of the treatment or the supposed ‘convenience’ of the treatment. He says, “There are always different approaches and choices or options to reach a treatment goal.”
Antoine Skaff uses the example of tooth extraction as a common treatment option to demonstrate the importance of careful consideration as there are other options available to explore however, some dentists would not inform the patient. The alternate option for tooth extraction is, according to Antoine Skaff, “By restoring the tooth with different materials like amalgam or bonding, they also used to use gold, but it is not used anymore. You can also do a crown every year.”
When it comes to saving money in your dental journey, Antoine Skaff’s most important piece of advice is to evaluate the treatment plan and the cost associated with it. “Always be prepared when you go to the dentist to ask questions. With the change of dental clinics, many of them give free consults, so a person can shop around for comfort and prices. You just have to remember that the cheapest option is not always the best option,” says Antoine Skaff.
At the same time, insurance is an option that helps a lot of people afford dental care. Antoine discusses the importance of understanding how your insurance provider operates. “ Some people don’t realize that insurance doesn’t pay everything. The amount from the procedures that are paid by the insurance companies is between 50% and 80%. When you go see a dentist, you have to know that you still have an out-of-pocket cost of between 20% and 50%. Insurance is not going to cover everything,” says Antoine Skaff. These are the important things to consider when trying to choose a dentist and ensure that you receive treatment that is the best for you.
