This month, my dentist + so far, my favorite in the city – Dr Sofia at EUROMED Clinic shares tips on what to look for in a Dentist…

A smile is one of the first features that someone will notice and so it is of crucial importance who you should trust in creating your mega-watt feature! Before committing to one particular dentist, start by researching thoroughly to ensure that the specialist you plan to visit has expert credentials from a well-established and renowned university plus evidence that he/she has a wealth of experience at treating different dental concerns and different patient demographics related to age, nationality.
Discover how innovative the dentist is. This may sound a bit strange as reading this you might wonder how innovative can a filling allow a dentist to be, but you would be surprised – with the technological advancements, dentistry has been transformed. For instance it is now possible to do a tooth implant in just one day, rather than dragging out the procedure over many months and when it comes to fillings, amalgams can be a thing of the past. As for pain, a trip to the dentist can be pain-free thanks to pioneering laser treatments but in each of these cases, only the most innovative dentists will be up-to-date with these treatments and procedures.
As with most industries, the quality of services and materials can vary greatly. It is possible to source low-grade veneers that will need to be replaced over time but the best dentists will use the highest-grade porcelain for the veneers which allows the colour to be completely customised to your own natural tooth colour and which is built to endure a life-time rather than a few years. 
When it comes to the equipment, it can be difficult to gauge what is the best if you are not a dentist yourself so instead check that the surgery is compliant with the rules and regulations necessary for healthcare facilities in your location. 
Remember, the dentist is a personal doctor and over time will become a trusted confidant. He/she should be dedicated to his/her patients and have a strong ethical code. This type of relationship is incredibly intimate and a really good dentist will care about the overall well-being of the patient (including his/her financial situation). This means that he/she should be able to provide – or at least try to provide – alternative treatment plans instead of only sticking to the most expensive solution to your dental issue.  
In my mind, dentistry is a combination of medicine and art. A dentist and his/her patient are partners who should work together to understand what the best possible smile for the patient is and how to enhance what is there to create it. 
My father, who has been a dentist for more than 30 years always says “Dentistry is the science of detail” and I believe this vision translates into everything a dentist does from root canals to surgery to cosmetic procedures such as smile makeovers  – and when a dentist does this well, then the results are astounding and will create true happiness in the patient, which should always be the ultimate goal!

More information about the treatments for your denture you can find at mydubaidentists.com, a useful online resource.