Care
Care to us is more than simply delivering dental services to patients. To truly care for a patient requires that the dental team recognizes each patient as an individual. Thoughtful care can then be tailored to each patient's needs in an effort to optimize the treatment experience. Care goes beyond providing dental services. It can be in assisting a patient with an insurance question or providing a blanket on a chilly morning. Patients can perceive when they are being well-cared for, and that helps establish a level of trust between the patient and the dental team.
Skill
Skill measures the level of precision and expertise the clinical team brings to the treatment they deliver. Skill can be honed by practice and to some degree, experience - but only if the practitioner cares enough about what they do to aspire to a high level of clinical care. Dental excellence sometimes requires a little more time to attain. This practice puts more emphasis on quality than production. Many dental offices like to advertise their technology. Dental equipment of any kind does not guarantee excellent outcomes unless the clinicians using it possess the skill set and patience to achieve excellent results.
Judgement
Good judgement is an attribute related to one's ability to make good decisions. Dental care is a constant process of making a multitude of small decisions. The decision not to treat can be just as important to good outcomes as a decision to treat a given condition. What is best for the patient must inform any decision. Judgement requires the clinician to have a solid educational background and is committed to staying up to date with advances within the dental profession. One must be a life-long learner to practice good dentistry.
