How Do I Find A Good Dentist?

Finding a good dentist begins with finding one that’s convenient and near your home or your work, ensuring that you can visit the facilities easily. Additionally, this will be useful for a dental emergency, as you can access the facilities quickly. You should also check the dental practices opening hours, to ensure that their availability matches up well with your schedule.

Checking out the financial side is also essential, as if the prices are too high for you to afford then it is pointless considering them as an option. Additionally, you should check how the payments have to be made, and if there is a payment plan in place to allow small payments to be made or if the payment must be made fully. This will allow you to see if the dentist is viable for you based on your current financial situation.

Type of Dentist

It is important to consider the type of dentist you require, especially if you have specific dental requirements that a general dental practice may not be able to deal with.

The main types of dental specialists that you may require are:

• Endodontics – This involves root canal treatment to clear infections from teeth.
• Paediatric Dentistry – This speciality is concerned with treating children.
• Restorative Dentistry – This includes fillings and restoring teeth.
• Special Care Dentistry.
• Prosthodontics – This involves restoring teeth with crowns and bridges and restoring implants.
• Periodontology – This involves the treatment of gum disease which is a common type of inflammatory gum infection.

Recommendations and reviews are king

Getting recommendations and information from local friends and family can also be valuable in finding a good dentist. Ask them about how satisfied they are with their prior treatments and how long they have been with the dentist. An individual attending a dental practice for a long period of time can be a sign that the practice is reliable and consistent. Plus, we trust our family and friends and respect their opinion more than that of a stranger.

However, it essential to not solely base your decision on family or friends’ recommendations, especially if they only visit the dentist for check-ups rather than complex procedures. This is because most dentists can deal with basic check-ups and simple procedures with ease, and thus you cannot truly gauge the dentist’s ability unless you have evidence from more complex procedures.

Reading online, third party reviews can also help, as they can offer in-depth details about other people’s experiences with that dentist. This can involve looking for reviews on the official website, through Google reviews, or on social media. When looking for reviews ensure that they are current and up to date, as older reviews can give an untrue image of the dental practice. Additionally, if all the reviews are very similar and no negative experiences are discussed then you may need to investigate deeper to ensure the reviews are genuine.

Pay them a visit

Once you have narrowed down your list of potential dentists based on the aforementioned criteria then it is best to book an examination appointment. You should try and engage with the wider team to get a feel of their behaviour and level of professionalism. If possible, prepare some questions to ask and why not check out the facilities in person? You’ll be able to tell whether it is clean and comfortable, and whether you get a good feel for the environment and people working there.

Choosing the right dentist for you is important. Afterall, if you are heading there for a check up every six months for the rest of your life, you’ll want to make the experience pleasant and build a relationship with the practice.

If you live locally to our practice and would like to come and have a look around, we welcome your visit. In the meantime, why not check out our friendly team and their dental specialisms?