Keeping up with your oral health is just as important as keeping up with the health of any other part of your body. You wouldn’t trust some random general practice doctor for the health of your family, so you shouldn’t leave choosing a dentist up to chance, either. You want to know your family’s oral health is in the best hands possible, so follow these tips to choose the best dentist.
Ask for Personal Referrals
A good place to start is to ask friends and family who live near you for recommendations. Find out who their dentist is, where they are located, and of course their experience with their dentist. Is the office welcoming? How is the dentist with children? Do they feel they are always treated with kindness and respect? If they’ve had nothing but great experiences with their dentist, you know it’s worth looking into. There are a lot of children that have anxiety when going to a dentist. Read these tips for child anxiety.
Consider Convenience
You’ll also want to decide how far you’re willing to travel. If you have family members who love their dentist, but it’s 45 minutes away from you, it’s probably not worth the drive if there are other great dental offices closer to home.
You’ll also want to find out if the dentist offices you’re considering offer emergency services if needed and how easy it will be to schedule regular cleanings and checkups.
A big part of convenience is of course to make sure the dentist you choose works with your insurance or offers affordable financing options if you’re not insured. Great dentists want to make good oral care and health accessible to all, so they should accept many different insurance forms and offer financing or other arrangements. If you can’t tell by looking at their website which insurance or payment types they accept, just call and ask!
Make an Unannounced Visit
If you’ve narrowed your list down to a few dentists but you still haven’t made your decision, stop by their offices. If you walk in without calling first, you’ll be able to get a true grasp on how their day-to-day operation works and you’ll be able to see first-hand how friendly they are to visitors.
