When choosing a dentist in Rajkot, check the qualification (BDS is a general dentist, MDS indicates postgraduate specialisation), confirm that sterilised instruments are opened in front of you, and insist on a written treatment plan with costs before treatment begins. Be wary of pressure to decide immediately, diagnoses made without X-rays, and quotes that exclude essential components such as the crown after a root canal.
Understanding the qualifications
BDS is the primary dental degree — a qualified general dentist, competent across routine treatment. MDS is a three-year postgraduate specialisation in a specific field: periodontology for gums and implants, endodontics for root canals, orthodontics for braces, and so on.
Neither is better in the abstract. A skilled general dentist handles most treatment excellently. What matters is that complex work goes to someone trained specifically for it — and that a clinic tells you when a case is beyond what it should be doing in-house.
Sterilisation: what to look for
This is where you are entitled to be demanding, and it is easy to check without any dental knowledge:
- Instruments should arrive in a sealed autoclave pouch, opened in front of you.
- Gloves changed between patients, in your sight.
- Needles, suction tips, cups and bibs single-use.
- The chair, light handles and worktop wiped down between patients.
The written treatment plan
Before any treatment begins you should receive, in writing: what is wrong, what the options are including doing nothing, what is recommended and why, what it will cost in total, and how many appointments it will take.
This protects both sides. It is also the only way to compare two clinics honestly — a verbal quote is not comparable to anything, and 'root canal' from one clinic may or may not include the crown that another clinic quoted.
Warning signs
- A large treatment plan proposed without X-rays.
- Pressure to decide today, or a discount that expires this week.
- Reluctance to give costs in writing.
- A diagnosis dramatically larger than what you were told elsewhere, with no explanation of the difference.
- Being told every old filling needs replacing on a first visit.
- No discussion of the option of monitoring something rather than treating it now.
Questions worth asking at a first visit
- What is the problem, and can you show me on the X-ray?
- What happens if I do nothing for six months?
- What are the alternatives to what you are recommending?
- What does the total cost include, and what is excluded?
- Who will actually carry out the treatment?
- What is the plan if this treatment does not work?
A good dentist will welcome all six. The answers matter, but so does the willingness to answer them without irritation.
Questions we get asked
Is a more expensive clinic necessarily better?
No. Price reflects overheads, materials, lab quality and time per patient. Some of those affect outcomes and some do not. Judge on diagnosis quality, sterilisation, willingness to explain, and whether you get a written plan.
Should I get a second opinion?
For any large or irreversible treatment plan — multiple extractions, full-mouth rehabilitation, many crowns — yes. A confident dentist will not be offended. Take your X-rays with you so the second opinion is based on the same evidence.
Does a dentist need to be an MDS to place implants?
Not legally, but implantology is a surgical discipline where training and case volume matter considerably. Ask about training, how many they place, and what happens if one fails.