How to Tell a Legal Dental Practice From an Illegal One
Learn how to spot a legal dental practice: check the dentist's reputation, SIP and STR licenses, waste handling and prices before you book an appointment.
Dental health is an important aspect of life that everyone should look after. As time goes by, awareness of why teeth need care keeps growing, and that has made dentists more in demand than ever. With demand this high, the number of dentists has grown as well.
The sheer number of dentists can make it hard to tell which ones are legal and which are not. As a patient, you need to be careful when choosing a licensed dentist so your dental health does not suffer. Here are several ways to tell a legal dental practice from an illegal one.
Reputation
Before you make a choice, it helps to find out about the dentist's reputation first. It is easy to do: check the dentist's social media accounts. If you find plenty of substantial testimonials from patients, that is a sign the dentist has a good reputation.
On the other hand, if testimonials are hard to find, you should look for another dentist. Besides social media, you can also check a dentist's reputation by asking people close to you who have been the dentist's patients. One sign of a dentist with a good reputation is a large number of patients.
Checking the practice license
The most effective way to tell a legal dental practice from an illegal one is to check the practice license. In this case, a legal dentist must hold two administrative documents: a Practice License (Surat Izin Praktek, SIP) and a Registration Certificate (Surat Tanda Registrasi, STR). Thanks to technology, you can even verify that both documents are genuine online by visiting the website of the Indonesian Medical Council (Konsil Kedokteran Indonesia).
Operating license
It turns out you should not stop at checking the SIP and STR paperwork. You also need to check the dentist's operating license. This permit is usually displayed at the reception desk. If you have any doubts, you can confirm that it is genuine by asking the receptionist. If you cannot find the permit, it is better to look for another dentist.
Waste management
Health and cleanliness cannot be separated, and that link holds in dentistry too. You can judge how clean and fit a dental clinic is by looking at how it handles its waste.
If waste is handled carelessly, you are advised not to have dental treatment there. Careless waste disposal reflects how the dentist treats patients.
Price
One more way to tell a legal dental practice from an illegal one is to consider the price. Do not be easily tempted by a dentist who offers cheap services. If anything, you should be worried, because the care may fall short of what you need when it comes from a bogus dentist. Before choosing a dentist, look up what the services cost.
As awareness of dental health rises, people are more diligent about routine care, which has made dentists very much in demand. Unfortunately, some irresponsible parties take advantage of the situation to make a profit.
They do it by posing as dentists and opening illegal practices. As a smart patient, you need to be selective when choosing a dentist, so you do not get fooled by unscrupulous people like these.
Read also: Why Dental Implants Are Better Than Dentures
