What to look for when choosing a dentist

Choosing a dentist is very personal. Since many people experience fear and uncertainty when it comes to dental work, and there are things like money, health and trust involved, choosing the right dentist is important. You want the right fit for a dentist because ideally, the relationship with your dentist will be long-lasting, and perhaps even passed down through generations to your children.

What should you look for when choosing the right dentist?

Proximity

This seems obvious or perhaps slight unimportant, but proximity is should be considered when searching for a dentist. If you live in White Rock or South Surrey, you don’t want a dentist in Port Moody. If your dentist is located within reasonable proximity to your home, there’s a better chance that you will make your appointments and on time. And if you experience an emergency, you want to be able to your dentist’s office quickly.

Condition

When you narrow down your search, take some time to go check out the dentist’s office. When you walk inside, you’ll be able to better evaluate whether or not it’s a good fit for you. Consider things like how accommodating reception is, the condition of the waiting room, the cleanliness of the place. You may have your own specific concerns that need to be addressed and physically checking out the place will help you so you can ask questions in person.

Cost

In Canada, dental is not covered by health care. Though many people have dental insurance through their work or school, not everyone does. Either way, it’s important to have an understanding of the price and cost of treatments before making a final decision. Ensure that the dentist will accept your insurance, and if you don’t have it, see if that office offers payment plans in case a costly treatment arises.

Emergencies

Dental emergencies can be frightening and often painful so when you are looking for a new dentist, make sure you see what their hours are and how the handle patients’ emergencies.

Reputation

For better or worse, the world is awash in online review sites. If you have narrowed down your search to a few dentists, online reviews are a good place to start, but it’s important you take them with a grain of salt. They might not paint an accurate picture overall as they tend to leave out some of the middle ground. The next step would be to ask around if anyone you know has been to the dentist in mind. Word of mouth referrals from someone you know and trust are usually more dependable than an anonymous person’s online opinion. Especially if you are searching within your neighbourhood, ask other people in your community if they have any recommendations or opinions.

If you are curious about our professional dental services and are in the South Surrey or White Rock area, give us a call today. We’d love to answer your questions.