Prioritizing Patients
Dr. Nermeen Rifai and her team at All Smiles Family Dental understand that putting patient needs above all else will lead to success and satisfaction for everyone.
As an accomplished dentist with a reputable practice, Dr. Nermeen Rifai knows what it takes to be a success in an ever-evolving field. Keeping up-to-date on dental techniques and continuously honing her medical knowledge are critical. Just as important as these skills, however, is bedside manner.
“You need to have people skills. You need to be able to be patient with patients,” Dr. Rifai says.
All Smiles Family Dental specializes in all manner of dental services, from repairing broken teeth to advanced restorative treatments, in addition to offering an array of cosmetic dentistry procedures. On top of regularly scheduled appointments, the practice also accepts emergency visits and walk-ins. In caring for patients with so many varied needs, it’s no wonder Dr. Rifai recognizes the power of a strong provider-patient relationship.
“What differentiates one doctor or provider from another is their bedside manner,” she says. “Doctors have to be able to listen to their patients to know what’s going on.”
Patients first
While diagnostics like X-rays and clinical exams are essential to effectively treating a patient, Dr. Rifai stresses that she can also glean a tremendous amount from simply having a conversation.
“By hearing out the patients, listening to them, getting a history of their symptoms and trying to understand them, a lot of times you can figure out what’s going on,” she says. “Sometimes you can figure out what’s going on even before it becomes apparent on an X-ray.”
Listening to patients is also the best way to help them overcome dental anxiety, which Dr. Rifai says most people deal with to some degree.
“It’s important for the dentist to hear out the patient,” she notes. “You have to understand where that anxiety is coming from in order to be able to treat it.”
That treatment will look different for every patient based on their anxiety trigger. Is it an invasion of personal space? Dr. Rifai will give breaks during a procedure and try to stand farther away from the patient. Is it a fear of needles? The office offers medications and laughing gas to calm nerves.
“A lot of times what patients do is bring their past to the present. I tell them that just because one bad thing happened before doesn’t mean it’s going to always happen. It’s like riding a bike. You’re going to get back on that bike, even if you fell and hurt yourself,” Dr. Rifai says.
Top Dentist
This emphasis on patient-centric care—which is carried throughout the entire All Smiles practice, from her front desk staff to dental assistants—recently helped Dr. Rifai earn Top Dentist recognition in South Jersey Magazine.
The honor, she admits, left her speechless.
“Dentistry is a lot of hard work and devotion,” she says. “I’m passionate and love my career—
this is the cherry on top. I feel appreciated.”
Dr. Rifai credits the passion she shows patients every day as the main reason she was voted a Top Dentist. Her goal is for each patient to get the care they need in the best and most timely way possible—even if it’s not with her.
“If they ask me for a recommendation, I will tell them the best place to go,” Dr. Rifai says.
It’s that satisfaction of being able to help others that drew Dr. Rifai to dentistry in the first place. She truly enjoys working on patients, and she especially loves being able to get someone out of pain.
“That makes it truly worthwhile,” she says.
Health starts in the mouth
As much as Dr. Rifai stresses the importance of listening to her patients, she also recognizes that her patients need to listen to her, too. Above all else, if there’s one thing she hopes her patients understand, it’s that maintaining dental cleanings and oral hygiene at home is the most important thing they can do for the structural foundation of their teeth.
A healthy lifestyle starts by taking care of your teeth, she adds, and serious issues can arise when someone is not going for their regular dental cleanings every six months and doing their best to maintain optimal dental health in between those cleanings.
“I want my patients to have this knowledge,” Dr. Rifai says. “Health starts in your mouth.”
And by prioritizing their patient relationships, Dr. Rifai and her team at All Smiles Family Dental will guarantee that this message – and all important dental care information – will always be communicated.
All Smiles Family Dental
Williamstown
(856) 740-1416
