Dentist: Finding One

Finding a dentist when you’re new in town can be a difficult task to tackle. The most common way most people find a dentist is by referral from a friend or a family member. But who do you ask for a referral if you’re friends and families are in a different town or a different state? Do you ask co-workers or neighbors you barely know for a referral and then wonder about their judgment forever after? Today most people are used to using the internet to find most of the information they need including what doctors and dentists to use. And if you use a consumer based web site it can be more informative than just a web page sponsored by the dentist in question.

Consumer based web sites can give potential patients a good snap shot on what a particular practice or doctor is like by showing an overall rating and reviews written by real former or current patients. It’s like suddenly having a hundred good friends tell you the best dentist to go to for your particular needs. A coward when it comes to the dentist? Try Doctor X. Hate to go more than a few miles away from a certain area- go to doctor Y.

And of course the bare bone basics that still matter like hours, location and wait time can be found on the review site as well so you can instantly eliminate anyone who is out of your geographic area or time frame of availability.

Once you select a few dentists on the web site you can and should schedule your own appointment to meet the dentist and see the office. You want to make sure that you are comfortable with the dentist and that the dentist listens to your concerns and problems regarding your dental health. This is especially important when it comes time to make up a treatment plan with your dentist.

Questions to ask yourself as you go through a potential dentist office include, asking how clean the reception area is. Some dental waiting rooms come fully equipped with a pool table or a big screen television and some waiting rooms feel more like a bus stop with outdated magazines and old coffee.

Questions to ask the doctor or the scheduling personnel including asking how after hour emergencies are handled. If you break a tooth after business hours will it cost you huge emergency fee to have it fixed? What happens on weekends or holidays if you need care that can’t wait? Hopefully you will never need emergency care but you should always plan your selection around the real possibility that you might and you want someone who will be there to help you.

Once you select your dentist and are happy with the level of care you are getting, feel free to post your own review on the web site to help other consumers find the doctor of their dreams too.