Reading Time: 4 minutes What To Look for in a New Dentist
This is a guest post by Rosana about oral health.
When it comes to moving to a brand-new neighborhood, there is a seemingly endless checklist of tasks to take care of. As well as updating your address and familiarizing yourself with what the local food scene has to offer, you must remember to find a dentist. But with so many factors to consider during the selection process, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Continue reading to find out what you should look for in a new dentist.
Insurance
One of the first steps involved in shopping around for a new dentist is to ask which insurance plans they accept and do not accept ahead of time. This can prevent you from wasting a considerable amount of time and money and allow you to extend your search for a new dentist elsewhere if need be. Regardless of which dental treatments you are anticipating, dental care can be expensive. This is especially important if you are looking for a dentist to carry out a root canal or filling for you. You must ensure your dentist accepts your insurance plan before you schedule an appointment. If you are unsure or are just looking for a second opinion, try contacting your insurance company and inquire as to which dentists in your local area are covered by their network.
Treatments
Before you make a final decision, you must find out which dental treatments your new dentist offers. Whilst most dentists are qualified to carry out a wide range of dental treatments, this can differ from practice to practice. To familiarize yourself with the list of treatments they provide as well as their price list, conduct a quick online search or pay a visit to your local branch. To ensure they are the right dentist for you, try scheduling a consultation appointment for more information. For example, if you are looking to find out more about night time clear aligners or invisible braces, they may be able to let you know everything you need to know about wearing clear aligners at night time or recommend an alternative provider.
Reputation
If you are confident your new dentist accepts your insurance plan and offers the dental treatment you require, you should research their reputation both online and in person. For example, online reviews and testimonials can be a great way to find out not only how popular a dentist is in your local area but how successful they have been at administrating dental treatments in the past. Asking on local online forums, chatrooms or social media can also be a great way to familiarize yourself with anonymous stories, reviews, and advice. By getting a second opinion, you can weigh up the pros and cons and make an informed decision. A negative review shouldn’t sway your entire decision, but it may be worth finding out why the customer had a poor experience as well as what was done to ensure the same mistake is unlikely to happen again. Disgruntled customers are more likely to leave a negative review in the heat of the moment. If this is the case, you should take the review with a grain of salt.
Credentials
As your dentist will be working on your mouth, teeth, and gums, you must ensure they are well-qualified in their field. Your oral health should be an integral component of your overall health and wellness. By taking the time to find a new dentist with industry-leading credentials, you can relax knowing you are in safe hands. You must ensure your dentist not only graduated from an accredited dental school but is committed to growing and developing their craft throughout the course of their career. During your initial consultation or first check-up appointment, ask your dentist which qualifications they have. With so many medical trends to keep up with in the dental industry, a keen approach to continuing education is key.
Customer base
Whilst this information may not necessarily be readily available, it may benefit you to find out which customers they cater to. For example, your new dentist may specialise in geriatric dentistry, paediatric dentistry, adult dentistry, or cosmetic dentistry. If you are looking for a new dentist for the whole family, you must ensure your new practice caters to you as well as your loved ones. Start by asking whether or not they have any limits on the type of patients they are willing to provide dental care to. If they do not cater to children, it may benefit you to extend your search for a family dentist elsewhere.
When it comes to finding a new dentist, there are a number of factors you must consider beforehand. This includes which insurance plans they accept, what treatments they offer, their reputation, their credentials, and which type of customers they cater to.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.