The family dentist is an important health care provider for many individuals and families. A family dentist is dedicated to keeping you and your children healthy, and oral health goes beyond dental exams and semi-annual cleanings. A good teethandgums dentist should handle dental emergencies as well as perform oral surgery and procedures such as root canals and fillings.
The most common way to find a family dentist is through dental insurance.
In fact, most dental plans require dentists to purchase from dentists on their preferred provider list. At this point, your decision is pretty easy, but there’s more to finding a dentist than checking a list of several dentists.
You should first meet with your dentist and discuss your family’s dental needs. Also, you should evaluate the dentist’s chair and his willingness to listen to your questions and concerns. You should also evaluate the environment of the dental office and the attitudes of the staff and other office workers.
It is also important to evaluate how the family dentist interacts with your child and, more importantly, how the child is around the dentist. Although family dentists offer pediatric dentistry services, not all dentists are good with children. Pay attention to how your dentist or dental hygienist cleans your teeth.
Do they work well and take care not to harm you or your baby?
Your friends, family members and colleagues can help you find a family dentist by recommending someone they know. Another good place is the internet. With recent additions to local search listings like Google Places and Bing Business Portal, you can find dental provider listings complete with contact information, hours of operation, and patient reviews. Customer reviews can be invaluable when evaluating any provider, so beware of dentist reviews. These types of reviews are often non-specific and meant to compliment the business.
A final note on dental insurance; Learn the difference between a health care provider “accepting” your insurance and “enrolling” in an insurance plan. For full coverage of contact services, the dentist must participate in an insurance plan. Some unethical family dentists accept your insurance plan, but not participants. Don’t leave your bag behind when you check out!
Choosing a dentist
Most people would agree that stress is not the best time to make an important decision. But people wait until they have a toothache before it’s time to go to the dentist. By starting your dentist search before you have a dental emergency, you can be happier than seeing the first dentist on your schedule. The problem is where do you start?
Get tips.
Referrals for a large dental practice can come from a variety of sources. The American Dental Association has a list of active ADA members with offices near you on its website. Friends and family usually help with things like local dentists’ specifics and flexible schedules. Your insurance provider can tell you which dentists are covered by your plan. Choose two or three people who interest you.
Check office hours and location.
Call the office and ask some questions. What days and hours is the dentist available? Is the dentist taking new patients? How long should I wait after a regular appointment? If the dentist only has daytime hours, if you work part-time, or if you are semi-retired and work 20 hours a week, you may have to work evenings and weekends. May not be able to find oil or office. Needs Taking time off work for an outside meeting is another reason to miss a meeting in the future. If the wait time for the dentist is several weeks or months, it may mean that he is a good dentist, but it does not mean that he does not have time for you. Your address needs to be mapped. It is also important to find a dentist with an office close to your home or workplace. If you don’t want to go there, you can meet and greet.
Enter the office.
Although the receptionist can answer most of your questions over the phone, an office visit is the best way to get a dental impression.
