Your smile is one of the very first features anyone will look at when they see you. In addition to this, tooth issues can be extremely difficult and painful to deal with. It is a known fact that we should all brush our teeth at least twice a day as well as use mouthwash and dental floss. Although it is great to have this type of routine in place, unfortunately, this is not always enough and you must have your oral health checked by a dentist at least every six months.
Visiting your dentist on a regular basis is essential even if you do not think you have any issues in your mouth. Teeth and gum diseases only become noticeable when they are worsening and there is little to do to improve them. An oral health professional will be able to spot these early on and advise you on the next steps in order to prevent further damage to your teeth and gums.
Of course, going to the dentist is not just for adults, it is for the whole family, therefore if you find a professional, it should be suitable for every member. In this article, we will discuss what to look for in a family dentist.
Qualification and Experience
One of the first things that you will want in a professional, no matter what kind, is to be reassured that they know what they are doing. The only way to know this, before they do any work on your mouth, is to find out what qualifications your chosen dentist holds. Usually, doctors will be proud enough to display their certificates in their office or even in the reception area, so it is accessible to everyone who wants to see it. However, you should also be able to find out this information by researching the professional in question online on their website. Any procedures that involve your teeth can be very specific, and if done wrong, they will cause you severe issues, including loss of your teeth. It is crucial that the professional that you will be seeing has the qualifications as well as the experience so you know they will be good.
Check For Reviews
In today’s world, no business can escape technology and the online world. Most services should have a website and some will go as far as having their own social media platforms where they can engage with patients. This is the best tool for you as a potential patient to find out more about the services the dentist provides and whether previous individuals have had good experiences with the same professional. Usually, on these websites, there is the opportunity to leave a review after your experience, whether it is good or bad. Looking for the bad reviews is extremely important as any respectful business will carefully read these and act accordingly by messaging the customer and also by changing their ways if necessary and improving their overall quality.
Good Customer Service
Customer Service is essential for any business to grow – this can make or break it completely. If a patient does not have a good experience and their issues and concerns are not dealt with in a prompt and effective manner, it is always highly probable that they will not come back to use the service. It can be a difficult thing to determine, whether your selected dentist actually provides good customer service without giving it a go yourself unless you check the reviews yourself. Another way you can do this is by simply contacting the office and asking to speak with the dentist directly so that you can ask questions and discuss potential issues. This will provide you with the gut feeling about the way they deal with patients and whether you would feel comfortable being one of their patients.
Online Engagement
As we briefly mentioned above, social media is highly important for any business. Healthcare professionals tend to not be on social media as much as any other businesses, perhaps because they feel that there is no need to promote their services, as people require healthcare and they will always look for this when required. However, there is an increasing number of healthcare providers, including private ones, meaning that patients have more to choose from. A dentist with effective online engagement will have a live website that is constantly updated as well as be active on different social media platforms. This is a good way for patients to know more about the service and communicate with the professionals online as required. Additionally, this should also provide you with the ability to receive appointments and assessments virtually or over the phone if for some reason you are not allowed to come into the clinic.
Services Offered
You may assume that every dental clinic offers the same treatments, but this is certainly not the case. When you are looking for a dentist, it is a good idea to find out whether they specialize in specific treatments as well as common ones. It does not mean that you may be in need of such services, but it is always a positive thing to know they are there in the case you need them. It may be a bit frustrating for you and your loved ones to get used to one dentist, only to find out, later on, they can’t help with a certain treatment. You can avoid this simply by researching upfront what the clinic offers. The dental professionals behind Willow Pass Dental Care suggest that some clinics offer free assessments on a range of treatments, which can provide you with information on treatments as well as give you an idea of how you will get on with the professional selected. This is a good way to choose your dentist wisely.
Location and Accessibility
Evidently, location and accessibility is a very important aspect to consider when selecting a family dentist. You may want somewhere local that you can access quickly and with no hassle, although this may not mean that it is the best professional that can provide you with the best experience. Sometimes traveling a further distance is worth it if this means you will get high-quality treatment, although it may be difficult to travel regularly with the whole family to visit the dentist, particularly if you have children.
Accessibility
Looking for a dentist for the whole family means that you will need to consider everyone’s needs. If there’s an older family member or someone with disabilities, make sure that the professionals are able to cater to these individual needs. If the person is in a wheelchair and the service is above the ground floor, there should be an elevator to allow easy access to this person. The same applies if you have young children and will need to carry them in a pushchair.
Technology in Place
Technology is highly important in the healthcare industry as it has allowed for so many treatments to be delivered more easily. A dentist that has invested in the appropriate technology is a good sign that they are upgrading their services and keeping up with the current times. This will indicate a higher probability of the professionals being able to deliver high-quality treatment to you and your family. It can be difficult to ascertain whether the professionals in question use such equipment, but you can visit the clinic in person or even look through their website to check, as usually the equipment used will be proudly listed on there.
The Cost of Services
Many people refrain from visiting the dentist as regularly due to the high costs associated with this. Depending on where you live, dental treatments may not be affordable at every clinic – as important as it is to go to an oral health professional, it is just as important that you do not struggle financially just so that you can afford to go to the dentist. There are many different factors that contribute to increased costs when it comes to dentists – their expertise, whether they are a private clinic or even the location. Make sure you research your area for different clinics and compare the prices between each other. If you find that they all seem to charge similar costs and it’s not affordable, consider looking for a clinic in a different area. Costs for different procedures should be displayed on the website, if not, the professionals should be able to provide you with this information if you give them a call.
Do they take your dental insurance?
Due to the high costs of some dental treatments, as we discussed above, some patients decide to take on dental insurance. This works pretty much like any other health insurance, where you pay a certain amount usually every month. Then, when you visit the dentist, the insurance will cover most of the treatment or at least half of it and the clinic will bill the insurance company directly. You may require specific treatment as an emergency unexpectedly; therefore having the insurance in place is a good idea so that you know you can afford it whenever you need it, without struggling financially. Make sure that the dentist you select accepts dental insurance as this will give you more financial options to afford your dental care.
How They Handle Emergency Case
Although visits to the dentist should happen on a regular basis, many people do not do this as often as they should. In these cases, dental emergencies are bound to happen, and it seems that they occur at the worst of times. Some dental clinics do not accept walk-ins, meaning that you would have to wait for an appointment slot to open up. This is not ideal, as the more you wait the worse the condition of your tooth or gum may get. Make sure that you choose a dentist that is able to properly handle emergency cases and offer emergency appointments.
Someone Patient
Dentist professionals are well known for being one of the scariest individuals associated with anxiety and pain. It seems that most people are terrified of going to the dentist, although this visit cannot always be avoided. With the high levels of anxiety of some patients, it is imperative that the professionals act in a very patient manner and are able to make the patients feel comfortable. This will increase the experience of the whole family.
Experience Working With Children
As we discussed above, visiting your dentist can be a terrifying experience, which causes anxiety in most people. This can be even worse when it comes to children who need to visit the dentist. Children are usually complicated to work with as most of them do not trust strangers, even if they are professionals. If you have children, you will know that making sure a child is sitting still and that they allow the dentist to check their teeth and gums can be very difficult and time-consuming. For this reason, you should ensure that the dentist will be able to make your child comfortable and handle the situation professionally. It may be difficult to know this without going to the clinic, but checking the reviews left by other parents on the clinic’s website is a good idea to get this information.
Check That They Are Flexible
Understandably, many people live chaotic lives full of different responsibilities and different schedules. Going to your dentist may not always be a priority to you, or you may not be available to just go any time you want. This is another factor that you should take into consideration when looking for a family dentist. Make sure that they offer flexible appointments, perhaps they can do evenings after work and school hours, or even the weekends. This will ensure that you can attend your appointments without having to cancel other commitments or rearrange your schedule.
Do they have a missed-appointments policy?
Even if you rearrange your schedule, sometimes you may not be able to attend your appointment due to unforeseeable circumstances. Some dentists may charge you for these appointments if you do not cancel within a certain amount of time. It is a good idea to check this with the clinic before you become a patient with the dentist.
Choosing a family dentist can be difficult sometimes as you will need to ensure all of your family members are happy with the choice. This page should provide you with a clear idea of what to look for in a family dentist so that your chances of finding someone suitable for you and your loved one’s increases.