About Your Treatment

Before receiving treatment from a dentist, a strategy called the "treatment plan" is created.  It is a list that details what dental treatment is going to be done and when it is to be scheduled.  The treatment plan is a reflection of the dentist’s experience, knowledge, and ability.  Components used in generating a treatment plan with Dr. Nalepka are:

1. the patient’s concerns and ideas

2. review of medical and dental experience

3. information about dental condition gathered through examination and x-rays

4. a complete itemization of existing dental disease (diagnosis) and dental condition

5. the dentist’s opinion about what to do for the patient (treatment philosophy)

6. an explanation of treatment options

7. review of fees, insurance participation and payment alternatives.

With this approach, each patient is treated on an individual basis and dialogue is encouraged.  The patient can help program their dental health care.

A treatment plan for any one patient may vary greatly from dentist to dentist.  This is because after leaving dental school, dentists are not regimented to any given continuing education schedule or focus.  As a result, no two dentists are alike in talent, inspiration, or capability.  Furthermore, treatment philosophies of dentists are not axiomatic and are not required to be standardized.

Readers Digest published a review of different treatment plans for the same patient.  It was a project where a reporter visited about twenty dentists accompanied with an identical set of full mouth x-rays, requesting a second opinion.  The dentists were unaware of the reporter’s intent or identity.  Treatment plans had very little conformity.  A panel of reviewing expert dentists concluded that some dentists recommend too much treatment.

Evidently, dental ethics plays a role in making a treatment plan.  Over-treatment can be defined as recommending or completing dental care which, if not otherwise completed, would not cause dental health to deteriorate.

The dental profession has taken steps. Dentists are encouraged to promote "evidence based" care. This is dentistry backed by standardized scientific research. For instance, recommending removal of existing amalgam (silver) fillings for health reasons is not evidence based.

The goal of Dr. Nalepka is to provide and promote to every patient access and delivery of ideal dentistry from a biological, esthetic and functional perspective.  This is the kind of dentistry that Dr. Nalepka would recommend for his family.

 809 W. Camp Street, East Peoria IL 61611 | Tel: (309) 694-0606
Thomas R. Nalepka, DDS, Ltd. © Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Disclaimer