Dentistry Today: All about the Doctor-Patient Relationship
Gigi Makharadze is one of the best doctors of dental surgery in Georgia. Educated abroad, he returned to his homeland and, along with actively practicing his art, has been engaged in teaching and has opened his own clinic. The Cedex (Center of Dental Experts) Clinic, apart from offering qualified personnel and the latest technology, has something more important – the trust of its customers. GEORGIA TODAY met with Doctor Makharadze and discussed the main problems in this field, the dental business and the culture of aesthetic beauty.
“It’s a mistake to believe that dentistry is poorly developed in our country. At the very least our young professionals prove it. I often attend conferences all around the world and I’m pleased to notice many young people from Georgia there. They are deeply enthusiastic and interested in their profession, something we obviously lacked 20 years ago,” said Dr. Makharadze. “I believe that Georgia has quite a bright future in this regard.”
Moreover, the Doctor says that developing the dental business in the right direction could be beneficial to the country as a whole. The Cedex Center has a large number of foreign patients; foreigners who are currently working in Georgia, foreign guests who heard about the good service and affordable prices from their fellow-residents, as well as immigrants to Georgia.
According to Dr. Makharadze, the prices of dental services have increased dramatically in most European countries, leading to Dent-tourism becoming very popular worldwide. “I’m not one to speak about other clinics, but compared with the world’s dental centers, we at Cedex have very affordable prices, hence our flow of foreign patients,” he said. “I can already say that I will barely manage to have a holiday this summer, because of the number of patients I’m expecting- summer of one of our busiest times.”
Dentistry is one of the most complex and dynamic areas. The knowledge that could be received from tutorials 10-20 years ago has been left far behind. Dr. Makharadze noted that as a dentist, it is highly important to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field; to update one’s knowledge and skills, as well as to purchase new technology regularly.
If, in the areas of professionalism and improvement skills, Georgia has advanced enough, there is another important aspect, on which Dr. Makharadze is currently actively working.
“The oral cavity is an intimate area which is located some 10-15 cm from the brain. Naturally, when someone invades it with his/her fingers or with tools, the brain begins to panic. Therefore, it is essential to establish good contact with a patient beforehand. I have a strong focus on consultation and there are times when I’ve actually refused to treat a patient. If you cannot establish contact, if the patient does not trust me, then, unfortunately, the treatment will not work,” the Doctor said.
Moreover, for very fearful patients there should be no worry to visit the dentist nowadays. Cedex Clinic uses sedation, which is safe and commonly used in medicine. It is not a narcosis, but the patient is half-asleep, feels no pain, and wakes up fully just when everything is finished.
Dentistry is also one of the most complex areas of medicine. If something is wrong in your mouth, it will never pass without assistance. With this in mind, no one should delay a visit to the dentist and, ideally, everyone should get their teeth cleaned professionally twice a year.
“It often happens that some diseases occur with no symptoms and pain, so the patient may think that everything is fine, leaving the problem undetected until the dentist notices something amiss during an inspection. While cleaning, the doctor works on each tooth individually, so he/she would be able to spot a problem in good time,” he added.
Dr. Makharadze advises patients to always listen to their bodies. There are no universal rules, but it is always important to take care of oral hygiene and have regular check-ups. If something goes wrong, or your teeth are in danger, they will let you know, and if they need help, for your own peace of mind, it is of course best to go to a dentist you can trust.
Today, teeth function as a person’s business card, not only their health, but also as a part of aesthetic beauty. They require consistent monitoring and care. Therefore, in contrast to other areas of medicine, it is important to have the number of your own personal, trusted, dentist in your contact list. This practice is widely accepted in the West, is the culture of behavior, one which Dr. Makharadze would like to encourage in Georgia.
Eka Karsaulidze