5 Tips for Choosing a Dentist

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Whether you’re moving into a new area or your needs have changed, you may be looking for a new dental professional to care for you and your family. Rather than pick one in haste when you have an emergency, most experts advise people to take their time seeking a professional.

Use these tips to find someone to provide dental care.

Check with Your Dental Insurer

If you have dental coverage through your insurance company, call them when you need to find a new dentist. They can send you a list of providers that accept the insurance coverage that is available in your area.

Start with that list and examine the credentials of the dentists in which you’re interested. Check where they went to school, how many years of experience they have, and whether they have any complaints filed against them.

You should be able to find most of the information about each dentist online.

Look for One Close to Home or Work

To make it easier to get to dental appointments, choose a dentist with an office that is close to your home or close to work. If you have several from which to choose, find out their hours and pick someone that can schedule appointments during the hours you have available.

Also, find out if they are available after normal business hours and on weekends in the case of an emergency. If you have children that are active in sports, then you never know when you may need dental care for a chipped tooth.

Ask About Services

Look for a dentist that offers that types of services your family needs. If you have small children, then you may need a pediatric dentist, as well as one that treats adults. For kids that play sports, you might want to consider a dentist that can custom-make mouth guards for them. If you’re from Durham, North Carolina, and are looking for state-of-the-art dental care, you may want to check out the Digital Dentist at Southpoint.

Finding dentistry for the family is important because an experienced pediatric dentist can catch problems before they become difficult to treat. If you don’t see a service that you want, then ask about it to make sure you find a dentist that offers it.

Ask Others’ Opinions

When you’ve narrowed down the search to a couple of dentists, ask your friends, co-workers, or family members in the area if they are familiar with them. If so, ask about wait times, chair side manner, and what you can expect when you go there for an appointment.

Any information that you can get before showing up in a new dentist’s office can get you started on the right foot, especially if you are a nervous dental patient. Also, feel free to ask the staff questions to establish a relationship with them.

Talk to the Dentist

Before scheduling an appointment for dental care, schedule one to get to know the dentist. It is a good way to find out if you are comfortable asking him or her questions. Also, it can help you find out if you feel like your questions are taken seriously by the way they answer them.

It’s important to feel comfortable talking to your dentist, so you can explain symptoms and problems and feel like he or she is taking them seriously. Also, if you have a question about a procedure, such as the benefits of sedation dentistry, you will feel that it’s okay to ask it.

Choosing a dentist isn’t difficult, but it is important to find one that offers the services you and your family need to keep your teeth and mouth healthy.

About Author

LaDonna Dennis

LaDonna Dennis is the founder and creator of Mom Blog Society. She wears many hats. She is a Homemaker*Blogger*Crafter*Reader*Pinner*Friend*Animal Lover* Former writer of Frost Illustrated and, Cancer...SURVIVOR! LaDonna is happily married to the love of her life, the mother of 3 grown children and "Grams" to 3 grandchildren. She adores animals and has four furbabies: Makia ( a German Shepherd, whose mission in life is to be her attached to her hip) and Hachie, (an OCD Alaskan Malamute, and Akia (An Alaskan Malamute) who is just sweet as can be. And Sassy, a four-month-old German Shepherd who has quickly stolen her heart and become the most precious fur baby of all times. Aside from the humans in her life, LaDonna's fur babies are her world.

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garypuntman
5 years ago

I agree that you should check with your insurance company before choosing a dentist. You want to make sure the dentist will take your insurance. You also want to find out as much information as you can about the dentist, like you said.

Tiffany Locke
5 years ago

I like your advice to find a dentist near your home or office and to check their hours. Going online could give you the chance to learn about the local dental offices and you could get other useful information, such as their hours and the services they offer. This could help you find one that can provide the tooth care you require so that they can

Dean Phillips
5 years ago

I liked how you said that it is good to see if you are comfortable asking a prospective dentist any personal questions. My wife has been complaining about pain in her mouth. It may be good for us to find a dentist for her to visit.

Jocelyn McDonald
5 years ago

My family is on the lookout for a new dentist, and your article had some great tips regarding this. I liked how you said to choose an office that is close to our home or work so its easier to make it to appointments. Thanks; we’ll keep this in mind when choosing a great dentist.

Brooklyn Johnson
5 years ago

I liked your tip about asking other’s opinions when looking for a new dentist. I am currently looking for a new dentist office to go to. I will definitely keep your tips in mind during my search for a new dentist.

Hazel Owens
5 years ago

Thanks for the tip to ask about the services offered. This is helpful since I think I have a cavity that I need to be fixed. I’ll have to call around and make sure I find a dentist that can take care of it for me.

Daphne Gilpin
5 years ago

Thanks for the tip to choose a dentist that’s pretty close to our home or work to make getting to appointments easier. My husband and I moved to a new area recently and still need to choose a new dentist. The tip you shared to consider location should help us narrow down our options!

Larry Weaver
5 years ago

Thanks for the tip to talk to a dentist to see if you feel comfortable asking them questions relating to dental health. Having never been to the dentist before, even as a child, I am pretty self-conscious about my teeth. Going to the dentist is going to be a big step for me, so I want to be able to find a dentist that I will be comfortable with.

Erika Bradey
5 years ago

Your recommendation to a dentist that offers the services you want would be important. Their website could provide you with information on the dental treatments the offer. This could give you the opportunity to narrow down the options before you visit the dental offices you’re considering.

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who’s reviews you can check. My wife and I have been talking about finding a new dentist in the area that we recently moved into, and it would be important for us to know that we can find one who we could know would be good for us. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who ha

Adrian Jones
5 years ago

I like how you said that it’s important to inquire about a dentist’s services before deciding on making them the primary source of your family’s dental care since you would be looking for a number of services that would fit your family’s needs. Another thing to consider is that asking other people about the dentist/s that you’re looking to meet wit

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who will be covered by your insurance. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist to help us take better care of our dental health, and it would be important for us to know that we can find one who we could afford. If we choose to hire a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who will b

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to talk to the past patients of a dentist before you decide to hire them. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist in the area that we recently moved to, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for a dentist

Silas Knight
5 years ago

Thanks for the tips for hiring a good dentist. I love how you said that it’s good to find one that is close to our home or my work. We just moved, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find an office like that.

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Infant care dentistry Appleton WI
5 years ago

Before choosing any dentist for dental treatments, it is quite necessary to get knowledge about the dentist and their services. Reading reviews online can help a lot. Also, one can gather knowledge from other sources too. Thanks!
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Taylor Bishop
5 years ago

Thanks for this advice for picking a dentist. I’m glad that you mentioned you should pick a dental office that is close to your home, if that can make it easier to go to dental appointments. This also seems helpful so you don’t have to commute to far and save yourself time when going to an appointment.

Amy Winters
5 years ago

We just moved to a new area, and it has been a while since we have seen a dentist. As I was reading your article, you write about having dental coverage, and it is good to check through your insurance on finding a new dentist. I had forgotten about reaching out to my insurance to find a new family dentist.

Brooklyn Johnson
5 years ago

I like how you mentioned that before scheduling an appointment with a dentist, you should talk to them first and get to know them to make sure you feel comfortable with them. My family and I recently just had to move into a new area because of my husband’s job and we need to find a new dentist to go to. I will definitely keep your great tips in min

Hazel Owens
5 years ago

That’s good to know that you can check with your insurance since to get a list of dentists in your area that accepts their coverage. This is helpful since I’m looking for a dentist for my husband since he grinds his teeth and chipped one of his molars last night. I’ll have to call to get a list and then look at reviews to see which one to go to.

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to check the reviews of a dentist before you decide to hire them. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist to help our children have the best oral health, and it would be important for us to know that we could find a dentist who we could be confident in hiring. If we decide to find a dentist, I will be su

bakersfieldsmiledesign

Choosing a perfect dentist is a really hard task, Thank you for sharing an article on Tips for Choosing a Dentist. this is really helpful. to know more visit us at Dental Implants Bakersfield Ca

PV Smiles
5 years ago

It is such a wonderful post to read.

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who is covered by your insurance. My wife and I have been talking about finding a new dentist, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could afford. If we decide to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who is covered by our insurance, so I can be confident in

Sandy
Sandy
5 years ago

I agree with you about choosing a dentist near your home or work. This is why I choose mine near at my work. Luckily I found a perfect dentist to take care my teeth. 🙂 My dentist is from this team – http://esteticomanila.com/ . Their site is kind of dull, but their services is to the fullest.

Bakersfield Smile Design 

Hi laDonna, I have noted the points.Thanks for sharing! Keep up the good work!

Gerty Gift
5 years ago

I thought it was cool how you talked about finding something that was close to home or work. My friend was telling me that she wasn’t sure what she should be looking for as far as the location of her dentist’s office. I think that this is a good baseline to work from since it would make visiting the dentist a bit more convenient if it was close to

Hazel Owens
5 years ago

That’s good to know you can set up an appointment with a dentist to talk with them to see if you feel comfortable with them and if they take your questions seriously. My husband just chipped his back molar last night by grinding his teeth, so this helps. I’ll have to set up a few consultations so I can choose one that will take care of his tooth.

Gerty Gift
5 years ago

I liked how you talked about what kind of services they offer. My husband and I are looking for a dentist, but we aren’t sure what exactly it is that we’re looking for. It seems like we should familiarize ourselves with what kind of services they can offer so that we can choose someone who can help us with anything we might need.

Adrian Jones
5 years ago

One thing to make sure of when looking for a new family dentist is to check if the new dentist accepts your family’s insurance. This has often become the reason that people move from one dentist to another–simply because the insurance that the family has isn’t covered by the dentist.

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who offers the services that you need. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist who could help us whiten our teeth, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could know will be able to help us out. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who is close to your home. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist for routine work, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could get to and be on time to work. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who is close to my home.

April Cook
5 years ago

Thank you for sharing tips on choosing a dentist. We’re moving into a new area and I like that you mentioned looking for dental services close to home or work to make it easier to get to dental appointments. We’d be sure to consider this factor and look into their hours of operation to check their availability in case of emergencies.

Adrian Jones
5 years ago

It’s great you talked about what to look for when searching for a dentist especially when you’re a newly-settled person in the neighborhood. One thing to consider is how close the dentist’s office would be to your house since you would want them to be easily accessible just in case you have a dental emergency. If I had the chance to move to a new p

east
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who is covered by your insurance service. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist who is close to our home, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could afford through our insurance. If we decide to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who is

Katie Wilson
5 years ago

Thanks for these tips on how to find a good dentist. Checking what services they have would be really helpful as well. My husband and I are looking for a dentist, so we’ll have to check their services first.

jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who is referred to you by family or friends. My wife and I have recently moved into a new home, and it would be important for us to find a dentist who is close by. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who is referred to us by family and friends, so we could be confident in o

Sarah Smith
5 years ago

We’re trying to find a dentist for our son since he is turning two and has started to teeth. Your advice to look for a dentist that is close to either home or work is very helpful. Personally, I like the thought of finding a pediatric dentist near my home.

Waldorf Dentist
5 years ago

Thank you for this information. I will really appreciate you, if you will review my practice Dentist in Waldorf MD

Mia Stewart
5 years ago

I like that the article explains that if you have kids in sports, you should find one that is open on weekends in case of an emergency. My kids play aggressive sports where there is a greater possibility of getting a chipped tooth and I would want to get that fixed right away if they were to chip their tooth. I will look into finding a dentist that

jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to check your insurance coverage before you hire a dentist. My wife and I need to find a dentist. If we choose to find one, I will be sure to check our insurance beforehand.

dr margolis
5 years ago

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jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who will offer the services that you need. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist who could help us if we were to get help with our kids. If we do, I will be sure to look for one who will offer the services that we need.

Katie Wilson
5 years ago

Thanks for these tips on how to find a dentist. It would make sense to find someone who is close to home, as you say. My husband and I are looking for a dentist, so we’ll have to check where they are located

jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who has good reviews. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist for our daughter. If we do, I will be sure to look for one who has good reviews.

jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who has positive reviews. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist in our new area because we recently moved into a new area, and we want to find one who is reputable in our new area. If we decide to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who has positive reviews.

jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who has positive reviews. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist to help our son, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust in. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who has positive reviews.

jeff wilcox
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who offers the services that you need. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist to help us if we decide to get our teeth whitened, and it would be important for us to be able to rely on who we choose to hire. If we choose to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one who offers the

Jack winter
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to choose a dentist who has positive patient reviews. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist to help us if we choose to get our teeth whitened, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could enjoy working with. If we decide to find a dentist, I will be sure to look for one

Jack winter
5 years ago

I like the tip that you gave to talk to your insurance to help you choose a dentist. My wife and I have been talking about finding a dentist in our new city, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust in. If we decide to find a dentist, I will be sure to talk to our insurance company for recommendations.

Jenna Hunter
5 years ago

I like what you said about choosing an office that is close to you and finding out what their hours are and how they work with your schedule. My aunt needs to go to a dentist because her teeth are hurting a lot and seem to be at a weird angle. It would be really nice if she could find a professional near her.