Dentists Visits: How To Avoid Long Waits

The only thing worse than a visit to the dentist for a root canal or filling is sitting in the waiting room for an hour. Even if you never leave your home without a utility belt stuffed with the latest electronic gadgetry, there's something about hypnotic easy listening tunes pumping through a mauve-wallpapered room that distracts you from checking your email. Suddenly, you realize you've spent the last hour flipping through a ten-year-old children's magazine, mocking the original reader's attempt at the word jumble. But is there any way you can avoid your extended stay in the waiting room of doom?

Be on time. The easiest way to avoid long waits is to arrive on the dot, or better yet, five to ten minutes before your scheduled dentist appointment. Why bother you say? There's no reason for the staff to hustle if you haven't arrived yet. Patients cancel on a daily basis, and often at the last minute and without a warning. If you consistently arrive on time, a good office will make sure you won't have to wait, or at the very least it will be minimized as much as possible. When you arrive late, an early patient may snag your scheduled appointment ahead of his own. A dental office is a business, and it is in their best interest to fit in as many patients as possible. That means being a few minutes tardy might set you back an hour in the waiting room.

If arriving on time or early isn't helping, try politely complaining to the staff. They may be able to give you some tips on better days to schedule an appointment. For example, Friday afternoons tend to be one of the busiest times, while the first appointment on Monday morning will get you in and out in record time. They may also make a greater effort to get you in sooner if they know you're an unhappy customer. It can also be helpful to express your concerns to the dentist as well. Sometimes they may not be aware of any problems with scheduling as they rely on the rest of the staff to have it all coordinated and organized efficiently.

If you none of your efforts help relieve excessive waiting periods, it may be time to try out other dentists. Barring the odd emergency situation, you should never be waiting for longer than twenty to thirty minutes on a regular basis if you have made an appointment. The majority of dental work is quite routine, so running considerably over an estimated time is rare, unless the office is not scheduling properly. Ask friends and family for referrals, and make sure to mention you're looking for a punctual office. If you call or use the Internet to find someone, express the importance of timely appointments. If you have been suffering from a lot of pain, it may be worth the extra money to visit an emergency dentist. If all else fails, find an office that has plenty of free coffee and up-to-date magazines in the waiting room.