Maybe you recently moved. Maybe you’ve changed dental insurance companies. Regardless, finding the best dentists in your area is no easy task.

Finding the right dentist for you is important. You only have one set of teeth. You don’t want to risk losing any of them to shoddy dental work.

Imagine how self-conscious you’d feel while smiling. Think about how hard it would be to look someone in the eye and see their gaze move to your teeth.

Thankfully, there are ways to go about identifying the best dentists in your area. Below, we’ve listed the most popular ones.

How To Find The Best Dentists In Your Area

Likely you’re planning to look up local dental practices online or in a phone book.

Unfortunately, just looking up practice names doesn’t tell you who the best dentists are. That process is a little more complicated and requires more effort.

Ask Your Current Dentist

The best place to start is your current dentist.

He may be sad to lose your business, but likely he’ll be understanding of your situation. He’ll know most if not all of the local dentists in the area.

Of those dentists, he’ll know the best one for you to see. He’ll base his recommendation on your insurance coverage, your dental needs, and your home and work addresses.

He’ll also base it on the other dentists’ reputations. Not all dentists are created equal. Word gets around from office to office concerning who practices well and who doesn’t.

Ask Your Friends

The traveling word is not limited to just the dental industry. Clients like to talk about the best dentists just as much as dental practices do.

Most likely, your friends, family members, and co-workers don’t all go to the same dentist. Chances are, at least one of them goes to a different one and can recommend him to you.

When you receive recommendations from friends, family members, and the like, remember to ask about their experience.

For example, you should inquire about how the dentist in question treats patients. What are his methods? How does he take last-minute cancellations or rescheduled appointments?

Also be sure to ask about his staff. Are they polite and organized? Have your friends ever had any issues with their dental insurance company due to errors made by the dentist’s staff?

You’ll also want to know about costs. How much does a routine cleaning cost? And how much do procedures such as a crowning or cleanings cost?

For example, Verde Pointe lists tooth reshaping cost on the page along with the description.

Costs are very important to know before making a decision.

Ask Your Dental Insurance Company

Your dental insurance company can give you a list of all local dentists who are in-network. That list will at least give you a starting point for your search.

Likely you’ll want to choose a dentist who is in-network over one who is out-of-network. Doing so will save you money if it turns out you need a major dental procedure.

Presumably, your dental insurance wouldn’t work with a dentist who has a bad reputation. If they did, they would risk paying out extra to fix the dentist’s mistakes. That means an in-network dentist should be reputable.

Depending on the insurance company, the staff may have heard about your local out-of-network dentists. They can relay what they’ve heard.

Search The Dentist’s Information

Regardless of which dentist you decide to see, you should check out their online presence.

Search the dentist’s name and practice on Google. Most likely, you’ll find reviews on the first results page.

You should also check to see if the dentist has a professional social media account. Many dental practices have official Facebook and Twitter pages for the purpose of networking with clients. Facebook pages contain an area for clients to leave feedback and reviews.

Another place to check for reviews is the dentist’s website. Often, dentists will include a section for client reviews and feedback.

Websites are also useful when it comes to checking the dentist’s services. Dentists list their services and the procedures they perform on their websites. They also list costs as well as the dental insurance coverage that they accept.

While you’re searching for the dentist’s information, be sure to search for his name in the news. Make sure there are no unsavory reports about the dentist.

Go To The Dentist’s Office

Prior to making an appointment, take a trip to the dentist’s office.

Take note of the kind of building that it’s in. Does the building look clean and safe from the outside? Does it look secure and reputable facility?

Next, go inside. Take note of the building’s upkeep.

Specifically, pay attention to the office’s hygiene. Does it look like someone cleans the surfaces every day? If it doesn’t, that’s a poor indication of how clean the dentist keeps his tools and examination rooms.

Besides the cleanliness, pay attention to the atmosphere. Is it welcoming? Do you feel comfortable being in the office?

An unwelcoming atmosphere is a sign of a tense environment.

Interview The Dentist and His Staff

The final step is to talk to the dentist and his staff. Doing so will help you judge the office overall.

When talking to his staff, be on the lookout for out-of-place gestures and comments. Is the staff at all snippy or rude? If they are, you may have trouble with them in the future.

Pay attention to how they talk about the dentist himself. Question-dodging and broken eye contact indicate a lack of comfort talking about the boss. Discomfort could indicate he is a poor boss to work for, which may reflect on his abilities as a dentist.

Next, talk to the dentist. Keep an eye out for the same kind of behavior. Additionally, gauge whether or not he is knowledgeable in his field. An unknowledgeable dentist may not know how to handle some of your dental problems.

Need More Advice? Contact Us!

At Sebule, we provide our readers with practical advice for everyday situations. From marketing to home repairs to bird breeding, we address it all at Sebule.

We know how important it is for you to find the best dentists in your area. For more answers and advice, please feel free to contact us!