Choosing a dentist is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. You rely on your dentist to keep your teeth in great shape and avoid future dental problems. But when there are more than 178,000 dentists in the United States, it isn’t always easy to find the perfect dentist for your needs.
You shouldn’t accept just any dentist when looking for oral care for your family. Ask the five questions below to a family dentist before you decide to hire them.
1. What Services Do You Offer?
The chances are good that you don’t want to go back and forth between different dentists. You want to rely on as few people as possible to help you with your oral hygiene. However, not every family dentist offers dental work for every procedure out there.
You want to determine what service a dentist offers before working with them. Ask how many services someone offers, their technology, and which dentists they work with for procedures they can’t handle in-house.
2. Do You Handle Emergencies?
Not every dentist handles emergency services. You still need to call your dentist and make an appointment. Unfortunately, you can’t always wait for some dental emergencies to get help.
You’ll need to find another dentist if your provider doesn’t offer emergency work. Ask the family dentists you interview if they handle situations like this. You won’t need to worry about having another dentist on call to handle quick work if they do.
3. How Do You Handle Payments?
You won’t always have dental insurance with your insurance plan. That means you’ll pay out of pocket for any dental work you need to be done.
Unfortunately, things can get expensive when you have more complex dental procedures. The good news is that many dentists offer payment plans to help people pay for advanced procedures. See how the dentist you want to work with handles payments to see if they are willing to work with you.
4. What Age Groups Do You See?
A family doctor is great for caring for your whole family, but they may not see every age group. Take toddlers, for instance. They need special attention, and your family dentist may not have the experience to provide adequate care.
Check to see what age groups your family dentist covers. If you want your whole family to go to the same dentist, you must ensure they offer that care.
5. Do You Have Positive Reviews?
Positive reviews are another important thing to look for when interviewing dentists. Even if a dentist is highly skilled, that doesn’t mean they’re pleasant to work with.
Look for positive feedback when looking at a dentist near me during your search. You can get references from dentists and look online to see what other people say.
Start Your Search for a Family Dentist Today
There are countless dentists available for work, but you shouldn’t just accept the first one you come across. Dentists have different strengths, so you must be careful in your selection during your search.
The questions above are a great way to figure out if a family dentist is worth working with. Ask them to figure out everything you need to know about your dental care options.
Check out the blog to find more helpful tips that will help you make better health choices in your life.
