Visiting a dentist for preventative regular dental check-ups every six months is crucial to ensure healthy oral health. But many people struggle to find a dentist that delivers an exceptional experience to turn them into lifelong consumers.
Many factors, such as cost, distance, specific specialty, and others, often stand in the way of finding a good fit for all your dental needs. The process may seem overwhelming but can be simplified with a systematic approach.
In this article, we’ll explain how to find the best dentist in your neighbourhood who goes above and beyond your expectations in this post.
Let’s get started.
Checklist to find the best dentist near you:
1. Get recommendations from acquaintances.
Getting recommendations from your family, friends, neighbours, and other acquaintances in your circle helps you narrow down your search for the best dentist near you. You can compile an entire list of recommended dentists and can research them further on your own.
It will help you learn about their experience at the dentist’s place regarding hospitality, treatment, and how well it ends up for the receiver. You will also be able to figure out a fair price for the treatment that you wish to receive while comparing all the fees that every dentist charge in the marketplace.
2. Research the dentist’s reputation online.
Online reputation is a powerful way of evaluating the real-time experience of patients with the dentist. Patient reviews on all third-party sites reflect their true experiences with the dentist and what impressed them while they received their treatment.
You can get all the answers to your questions as you explore their business listings and ratings. It holds up as an integral part of your dentist’s research online.
3. Explore the dentist’s website.
As you get a list of all the recommended dentists near you, head on to check their website for the following things:
Time and distance come into play as crucial choices when you must visit the dentist every few days. Ensure that the dentist’s office is within convenient reach of your workplace or home.
Do give extra attention to the office timings in which the dentist operates to make sure that it accommodates your schedule. At times, in procedures like cosmetic dentistry, distance isn’t a crucial factor as you will be weighing the qualification and experience of the cosmetic dentist more. Also, it would include fewer frequent visits as compared to the others.
4. Learn about payment policies.
If you are planning to use your dental insurance and payment, make sure that the dentist you are planning to receive treatment from accepts your plan.
It will help you receive the most out of your dental insurance and pay the least from your pocket. However, it should not be a major factor in your decision to choose a good dentist for yourself.
Even if it covers some perks in your dental care plan by the dentist of your choice, we recommend you go for it. Prioritize quality dental care over cost of treatment.
5. Double check the dentist’s licence and certifications.
While doing the background checks on your desired dentist, check for their board certification by visiting the American Board of Dental Specialities (ABDS). Next, look for their current state license.
We would suggest you look for other options in your list of dentists if he/she fails to fulfil these above two documents.
6. Set up an appointment for a consultation
Once you are done deciding on the best dentist near you, we would recommend you set up an appointment with them first for initial consultation. You can discuss your treatment options with them and clear up any queries related to them.
Some other questions that we recommend you add to your list are given below.
- How do you proceed in a dental emergency care?
- How long have you been practising?
- What treatments are performed in-house versus what are referred out?
Asking your dentist questions like these will help you learn everything there is to know about them and will help you develop the trust that is necessary before entrusting your dental care in their hands.
Key takeaways
Now that we have laid down a map to find the best dentist near you, it’s time you get started finding the perfect fit for you. Here’s a checklist for a quick recap.
- Ask for recommendations.
- Explore their website.
- Read patient reviews online.
- Check for certifications and licenses.
- Compare the pricing.
- Payment policy for checks
- Fix a consultation call.
With everything sorted now, you can get started on your dentist hunt. We assure you that this checklist will help you get through any obstacles in your journey to find the best dentist in your vicinity. It’s high time you take your oral health seriously for a brighter smile.
We provide cutting-edge dental services while maintaining a smile on your face, and building honest and lasting professional relationships. Book your first dental appointment with us! You can also reach us via email at office@dentaloasispleasanton.com or call us on (925) 846-4491.