Finding A Dentist For Your Family

Some surveys have shown that nearly half of the general population is without a regular dentist. This means, of course, that they either haven’t found one they are comfortable seeing on a regular basis, or they only go for dental care when something seems to be wrong. The American Dental Association recommends that each individual go in for a checkup and cleaning twice a year. It is important, if you have a family, that you begin following this advice for the betterment of you and your children’s oral health. If you haven’t found a regular dental office, here is how you should begin your search.

You local phone book makes a fine starting point to find a family dentist in your area, but you can do better than that. You may want to consider calling the Academy of General Dentistry to find members in your area. You can also start by asking your friends and co-workers who they recommend. Another option is to search online for reviews and ratings for the dental offices in your town. Several websites provide these reviews, which are written by patients and people just like you. Any head start you can get when it comes to a recommendation can save you a lot of time and energy.

Next, remember that you don’t need to jump right in to an appointment with the first dentist you find. Instead, it may be helpful to call a few offices in your area and get a feel for how they operate. Even relying on reviews won’t give you the full picture, nor can it answer your questions. If you schedule a consultation, you can get even more information without having to risk your money on a bad visit. Your questions should include asking if they are a member of an organized dental association, such as the ADA, what kinds of procedures they do in the office and which ones do they go out of office to perform, and what their experience is when it comes to working with children.

Once you’ve found a good dentist that passes the above criteria, it’s time to make your first appointment. This will still be a trial appointment, however. Pay attention during this visit and watch for things you really like and watch for anything you don’t care for. You can decide during this visit if the dentist is someone you can get along with for an extended period of time, if you like the way the office is run, and how comfortable your children are with the atmosphere. Use this information to make your final decision. If you don’t like what you see, go to the next office on your list and continue until you find someone you feel good about calling your regular dentist.