Oman Wellness: Finding the Right Dentist in Muscat

Lifestyle Saturday 07/January/2017 17:38 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman Wellness: Finding the Right Dentist in Muscat

Finding a good dentist in Oman has been, well, like pulling teeth for my husband and I. From clinics with equipment as outdated as their surgical practices to clinics with well-educated, but downright rude dentists, we have had many oral misadventures in our search for the perfect dental practice with which to entrust our teeth.

After our last experience, with a perfectly capable dentist for whom we had to wait weeks between appointments, I came to realise that finding a good dental practice was more complicated than ensuring our orthodontist had the appropriate qualifications. What good is a great dentist if you can’t get an appointment when you need one? Or if they are so abrasive that you don’t feel comfortable asking questions about care options? I came up with a checklist to help us on our quest, and we found what ended up being the perfect clinic for us when we happened upon Wassan Specialty Dental Center.

Things were different from the moment we walked into reception. Absent was the standard disinterested look of the medical receptionists. The women smiled at us, greeted us, and within a matter of minutes, had provided us with plastic cards with barcodes containing all our patient information. I should back up a minute, our good experience actually started well before we ever got to the clinic. I had called the day before in hopes of securing an appointment sometime in the next few days. The woman on the phone asked about our schedules, and I told her that we could only make it in after 7pm or on the weekend. I held my breath, waiting for her to make excuses and offer us an appointment a month away. Instead, she cheerfully said, “That’s great, how about tomorrow night at 7:30?” I nearly leapt with glee, but pessimistically assumed it was first-timer’s luck. It wasn’t.

We were taken to meet with a dental surgeon, who did a 3D scan of my husband’s teeth and then took the time to explain everything he saw on the slide to us, answering every question we had, despite the fact that it was determined that we actually needed to see an endodontic specialist. He had time for us, and was patient in explaining things. I was surprised yet again when, instead of sending us away to make another appointment, the surgeon picked up the phone, explained my husband’s situation to the endodontic doctor down the hall, and walked us over to her office. He bid us farewell, leaving us in the capable hands of Dr Aamina Zoya Farook. She examined his teeth and the slides, and then went about explaining our options.

Her easy smile and patient manner put us at ease. She made us feel like a part of the treatment plan, rather than just subjecting us to it. Then she asked, knowing that my husband’s work hours were difficult to schedule around, if we would like to start the treatments on that very Saturday. She officially became my dental hero. The clinic is tucked away in an unassuming corner of Al Khuwair, but inside there is the most state-of-the-art dental technology anywhere in Oman, the most accommodating doctors I’ve ever come across, and the most flexible scheduling anywhere. And the prices are reasonable, too. Finding Wassan, after all the dental drama, helped me realise how important it is to take your time when choosing a medical care provider, because the good ones really can make the experience relatively painless.

The checklist for finding the right dental care provider

Hours and booking times: If you can’t get in to see your doctor or dentist when you need them, then the clinic is probably not the right one for you. If you work late hours, look for clinics that are open nights and weekends.

Style of consultation: Different cultures have different approaches to healthcare. For me and my family, we don’t just want a solution, we want an explanation of what is happening, what can be done to solve the problem, and what we can expect before, during, and after treatment. This kind of explanation requires a patient doctor who is willing to take the time to talk to his or her patients.

Bedside manner: No matter how you like your medical information delivered, it is important that you feel comfortable with your doctor and the nursing staff. Look for clinics where you are greeted warmly, and in your first consultation, check-in with yourself to see if your medical staff make you feel safe and comfortable.

Available on-site technology: If you can find a clinic with as many things done in-house as possible, you are going to save yourself a lot of time and annoyance. One of the things we loved about Wassan was the fact that there were 7 specialists in the same practice, so when we were determined that we needed to see another, it was just a matter of walking across the hallway. The state-of-the-art 3D imaging was done in minutes, and the milling lab for making crowns and caps was also in the office, so everything could be taken care of in a single visit.

Specialists: If you know you have a particular area of need, be sure to go to a centre that has the appropriate specialist on-site. It is especially good if your medical provide has several specialists, so you can manage your healthcare with a single team who can consult with one another about your needs and history.

Price: This should be your last consideration. Dental treatment is extremely affordable when compared to Western dental costs, with highly qualified dental providers available. Expect to pay around OMR10 for cleanings, which you should do every six months and OMR20-25 for fillings. Taking these preventative measures will help ensure you don’t have to go for more intensive and expensive procedures like root canals.

The perfect dental clinic for us

Wassan Specialty Dental Center
Al Khuwair, behind the Zawawi Mosque
+968 2447 9942
wassandental.com

Hours: 9am-1pm, 4:30pm-9pm, Saturday-Thursday

Pricing: Cleaning start at OMR10, recommended every six months
Fillings range from OMR20-25
Call for pricing on other procedures such as orthodontics, whitening,and root canals

Specialties:
• Orthodontics (For straightening teeth)
• Prosthodontics and Dental Implants (For repairing and re-fashioning teeth)
• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics (Root canals, crowns, implants, and dentures)
• Cosmetic Dentistry (whitening, capping, filling gaps, and inlays)
• Child and Paediatric Dentistry (from preventative fluoride treatments to emergency care for toothaches and chipped teeth)
• Digital Smile Design

Technological Highlights:
• Digital 3D impression technology
• 3D imaging X-rays for dental diagnosis
• Several “invisible” braces options for straightening teeth
• Zoom! Whitening treatment (eight shades lighter after a one hour session)
• Beyond teeth whitening LED whitening system

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