subject: Dentists: Get Their Advice Online! [print this page] Ever have a dental problem at home and wonder what advice a group of dentists would give you? Instead of sitting there in frustration trying to self-diagnose, you can go online and check out what professionals have to say about your situation. Before you look for help outside of a dental office, be sure that you know what you are getting into and the limitations that apply.
Find a Site
There are several different sites that claim to have dentists available to give you advice. Once you have found a site, you may have to register for an account. If you aren't interested in being contacted frequently by the site, be sure to read the fine print. It should explain that either they are not planning to give out your information, or there could be no fine print at all. In those cases, you may not want to use your primary email account to become a member.
Asking A Question
Whether you are asking a question of the online dentists or just listing some of your symptoms to see what solutions are available to you, specificity is key. If there is a certain tooth that is bothering you, describe its location to the best of your ability. List any recent dental work that you have had done. Describe some of the issues that you have had in the past or other issues that you may think are unrelated. The more information you give, the better.
When you provide general information, it can be difficult for dentists to get a real understanding of what you are going through. Just imagine that the more information you give, the higher the chances are that you will get more helpful information in response. Be sure to keep checking the site or your email account to find out when your concern was answered.
Benefits
If you don't know a lot about dental health, it can be nice to ask someone a questions and get an answer. It might make you feel better or it could let you know that it is time to make an appointment and really see what is going on in your mouth. Sometimes, it just gives you peace of mind
Negatives
On the other hand, this is in no way a perfect system. A site may claim to have dentists answering your questions, but there may be no way for you to verify that. You don't want to put all of your hope into an online diagnosis. Unfortunately, not everyone online has the intention of helping other people.
In the same way, even if you are talking to a real dentist, it doesn't mean that you are getting an accurate diagnosis. When it comes to the dental or medical field, most practitioners need to actually see a patient to make a diagnosis. There might be things that you didn't think to mention that would come out right away at an exam. Think of how difficult it would be for you to solve a math problem when you can't see the numbers! You may be able to take the clues and come up with the right answer, but there is no guarantee.
by: Abigail Aaronson
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