As Sam sat in Dr. Martin’s dental chair he was trying to remember the last time he was here. He remembers going in when one of his teeth cracked after he bit into an almond at the Millers’ Christmas party in 2004. Sam blushed when he realized it had been 10 years. He remembers that Dr. Martin was great at getting him in on an emergency basis that day, and had done a great job fixing his tooth. But now he had horrible pain in a different spot and part of his gum had swollen up. Even though Sam brushed regularly and flossed almost every day, he remembered Dr. Martin’s encouragement that he come in for regular check ups and professional cleanings. He had always thought you only went to the dentist if there was a problem, but now he remembers Dr. Martin telling him that most dental problems can be minimized or avoided altogether when patients practice preventative dentistry which includes regular visits to the dentist.

A Tad Overwhelming

Now, Sam listened as Dr. Martin explained that two of his teeth have been ravaged by decay and need to be extracted. Then to fill the space, he will need dental implants and crowns. He also is in need of a root canal on two other teeth. Yikes! Sam was kicking himself for not coming in on a regular basis, and now was a tad overwhelmed at all that needed to be done. Sam hadn’t been in this position before, but Dr. Martin has seen this scenario more times than he can count–years of a patients not going to the dentist, ending up with a myriad of serious problems that need step-by-step attention.

Dental Treatment Plan to the Rescue!

When patients like Sam come in and are in need of several services, Drs. Martin and Taylor design and implement a clear treatment plan. These treatment plans make addressing the problems less overwhelming for the patient. Each plan spells out, step by step, when each procedure will occur, and how much each service will cost. The patients get in writing a clear outline of each procedure and the length of healing time, completing a full picture of what to expect before, during, and after the treatment. The whole purpose of a treatment plan is to remove any surprises and to let the patients be fully informed as active participants in their own dental care.