Whether you’re looking for dental implants or teeth whitening, you deserve great dental service. Here’s what to look for in a good dentist (and how to spot a bad one) near you.
You could be looking for a new dentist for any number of reasons. Perhaps you’ve moved to a new area. Maybe you’re unsatisfied with your current dentist, or maybe you suffer from dental anxiety and you’ve only just plucked up the courage to visit a dental practice after years and years of avoidance. Whatever the case, it’s important you pick the right dentist. You deserve more than just basic dental care — you should accept nothing less than an excellent dental service that takes dentistry, and its patients, seriously.
Below, we’ll cover exactly what you should look for when it comes to finding a good dentist near you and what questions you should be asking the dentist (and yourself) when you visit a practice.
Make Sure the Dentist Offers a Wide Range of Quality Services
A good dental practice should offer a breadth of dental services, from teeth restoration to adult orthodontics. You need to find a place that suits your needs and will deliver on what you require. If you are experiencing teeth discolouration, for example, you will want to ensure they offer expert teeth whitening services. Equally, if you are encountering teeth shifting, but you don’t want to deal with traditional metal braces, you need to know your dental practice offers invisible braces to suit your lifestyle
Here at Tooth Doctor, we offer a full range of dental services. These range from emergency care and basic dental hygiene to more specialised dental services such as dental implants, bridges and veneers. Furthermore, we offer facial aesthetics to help our patients interested in anti-wrinkle treatments or lip fillers.
Check out Their Dentists to Ensure They Are Well Qualified
The best dental practices are filled with the best dentists, great dental hygienists and excellent dental assistants. You want to find a dental service that employs professional and expertly qualified staff. If you visit your dentist’s website, you should be able to see evidence of this professionalism and continuing professional development, which proves they are up to date with new techniques and treatments.
Here at Tooth Doctor, we proudly handpick and develop the best dental professionals, all of whom are deeply passionate about their work and committed to high standards of care.
Check out Recommendations, Get Referrals and Look at Case Studies
Unless a dental practice is brand new, they should have case studies, testimonials and recommendations they proudly display. If these aren’t evident on their website, get in touch and ask for them. If you are going to be trusting your oral health to a dentist, you deserve proof that they know what they are doing and that they get great results.
Of course, public opinion is always a great way to find a good dentist. Check out reviews online and ask your friends and family for references and recommendations. Word of mouth can be a great advertising tool, which is why the best dentists treat each patient well and strive to deliver the best care each and every time.
Look for Proof of Excellence on Their Website
A surefire way of determining whether a dental practice is worth your time is by searching for proof of excellence on their website. See if they have won awards for their services or if they have a Care Quality Commission Inspection Report. Being rated by an independent regulator is a solid indicator of high levels of service.
Find a Place That Makes Your Life More Convenient
Convenience is key when it comes to dental care. We all have busy lives, so many of us don’t go to the dentist as often as we should. Surprisingly, nearly half of Brits are happy to go two years or more between dental visits. This isn’t a good idea from an oral health point of view — you want to have regular check-ups to make sure there are no developing infections or tooth decays. For this reason, make life easier for yourself and find a dental practice that is close and convenient.
The other thing that’s important for convenience is money — specifically dental finance and membership plans. Find a dentist who will work with you and your financial situation to get your teeth in tip-top order.
Questions to Ask Your Dentist (and Yourself)
Sometimes the only way to really get to grips with a dental practice is to visit, ask questions and see how you feel about the level of service. Below are a few questions for you to ask the dentist:
- How often do your dentists attend conferences and education workshops?
- What exciting new technological advances have been introduced to the practice?
- What type of anaesthesia do you use to help patients relax if they are particularly anxious?
- What arrangements are available for handling dental emergencies outside office hours?
- What is your policy on missed appointments?
You should also take the time to ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the dental practice easy to get to from work or home?
- Are the office hours convenient for my schedule?
- Does the dental practice appear to be clean, sanitary and orderly?
- Are the dental staff friendly and helpful?
If you’re considering dental treatments, whether routine or cosmetic, you can get in touch with the Tooth Doctor team today for a free online dental consultation. It’s quick and easy and our friendly and professional team will be happy to help you. Arrange a consultation today.
