Dr. Daniel Henricksen of Henricksen Family Dental grew up in Chehalis. While he’s been all around the world since, it’s his community that drives him, leading him and his staff to give back to the community around them. Sometimes giving back means supporting youth programs, like the Boys & Girls Club of Chehalis, or sponsoring a local youth soccer team called The Tooth Fairies. But often, giving back means a commitment to patient education, both in terms of fun facts as well as truly helping patients understand their dental care options.
Dr. Henricksen is always happy to explain or share his knowledge. He puts high value on compassionate and judgement-free care, encouraging patients to speak up about concerns and ask questions.
He might even share a more obscure and fascinating fact with you – for example that Listerine actually invented the word “halitosis” as part of a marketing campaign.
Dr. Henricksen also aims to dispel myths that “Dr. Google” may have told you about your dental care. A popular one is that fluoride is bad for you. Another one he said was quite popular is “oil pooling,” where you put coconut oil in your mouth to supposedly draw out the bad bacteria. He says if it worked, dentists would use it.
“Dentists have been using essentials oils for over a hundred years,” Daniel says. “Listerine has essential oils. Buy the original formula that does not have alcohol in it because the alcohol dries out the tissues in your mouth, which will actually make the bacteria worse.”
Patient education goes beyond factoids, though. Henricksen Family Dental goes to great lengths to ensure their patients are getting the best care. Dr. Henricksen buys the best products and tools to use, and goes to trade shows each year to learn about the latest available.
“We are in the process of upgrading to digital x-rays, which have lower radiation and are faster. But the really important thing for me is it helps with client education,” Daniel explains. “I am fairly new around here, but I want to have the same type of relationship with patients that they had with my Dad– he could have told them they needed all their toes removed and they would have believed him. They trusted him,” he says of his father, who worked as a dentist in Lewis County for 40 years.
The clinic also uses as many precautionary measures as possible to ensure health and safety. For example, they always use a rubber dam to protect patients from bacteria, but also from swallowing pieces of filling, tooth or other debris. In addition, they take blood pressure and do cancer screenings. And, they are still below average when it comes to prices for dentistry in the State of Washington.
Dr. Henricksen earns his patients’ trust by giving them as much information about their dental care as he can. Beyond this, he encourages patient self-advocacy – he wants you to tell him what you think is wrong, because sometimes the patient knows best. He knows from personal experience how important this can be. He’s alive because he pushed a doctor to take x-rays when they told him he just had bronchitis. His doctor finally took the x-rays and they found he had lung cancer.
You can be sure that if there is a way to advocate or educate his patients, Dr. Henricksen will do it. He is dedicated to helping everyone in his community have better dental health, whether you’re in need of dental procedures, cosmetic treatments, or a standard cleaning.
For more information, visit www.henricksenfamilydental.com or call 360-748-4481.
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