Individualized vs. “Assembly Line” Dentistry: What’s The Difference?

Once upon a time, children grew up going to the same dentist all their lives. When they grew up and had children, they brought them to the same dentist that had treated them. This dentist knew their parents, their siblings, their neighbors and everyone’s dental history. In those days, there was nothing BUT individualized service.

However, times have changed. The dental, medical and insurance industries have all evolved dramatically. Many dentists have shifted their focus away from personal attention and toward more of an assembly-line approach. They’re going for volume. These practices are built on fast administrative practices that shuffle patients quickly from the waiting area through treatment and out the door. The dentist in a practice like this really doesn’t care if he knows the patient’s name or not—or if he will come back for further treatment. It’s just an assembly line.

I think you can imagine the downside to a practice like this. You, the patient, won’t get the feeling that you and your health are being cared for. Important questions about your goals for dental treatment and even about your overall health may be missed. You may not be properly instructed about the dental work you just received or how to care for your teeth and oral health in the future.

We have a completely different concept at our practice. We practice Individualized Dentistry. That means we treat you as the unique individual you are. We want to understand your overall health as well as your oral health. We want to know what goals you have related to dentistry and your smile. We’re dedicated to providing you the best quality service that brings you to those goals.

This philosophy means that we’re going to look at the bigger picture when you visit us. If you come to us with a specific problem, it’s our job to not only explain how we can resolve that problem, but also what care you might need to preserve your teeth for the long run. Do we see problems beginning due to a poor alignment of your bite? Are there early stages of gum disease? Are you at risk of losing teeth? We’ll help you understand both the causes of these problems as well as what you can do to solve them.

It’s our pleasure to have the technical skill and the ability to provide high quality care so you achieve a beautiful, healthy, long-lasting result. We know we have done our job right if we also see your family and your friends arrive for treatment. We’ll treat them just as individually and professionally as we treated you.

As a dental practice, our mission is to help you preserve your oral health and achieve the smile you always wanted. We have a passion for what we do and consider all our patients to be part of our family.

Our dental practice in Rockville, Marylandserves patients from all over the Washington, D.C. area. If you are new to our practice, please ask for a Free Dental Consultation by calling (301) 770-1070. We’re here to help.