Finding Dental Care

   In most cities and towns there are a number of dentists, but sometimes it is difficult to find a good office.  Finding dental care sometimes takes a little bit of work, but it is definitely worth the effort.  I recommend asking people you know or don’t know for a good office.  Word of mouth is the best route to go.  Looking in the yellow pages to find a good office is a little more difficult as you never know what you’ll ultimately get.  Take these tips and apply them whenever you are searching for a new office!

1.         The first thing you should do is to go to the office to have a look around before making an appointment.  If the office is a good one, they should have no problem showing you around.  You should make a point of looking at their sterilization equipment and making sure they have both an ultrasonic sterilizer as well as a heat sterilizer.  Also just take a general glance around to see if it is a clean environment.  Cleanliness in the dental office is of utmost importance, and believe me there are definitely some dirty offices out there!! 

2.         Also, in finding good dental care ensure that there is a dentist, assistant and dental hygienist working there.  Some offices don’t employ dental hygienists who normally do the cleanings.  Sometimes the dentist does the cleanings himself- which are usually poor as dentists aren’t skilled in that aspect.  Other times the dental assistants do the cleanings which is illegal.  Dental assistants are the ones to sit across from the dentists and pass him their instruments, and should not be doing the cleanings.  Don’t get me wrong, assistants can polish the teeth and administer fluoride, but they can’t clean the teeth far below the gum line where most people need them to be cleaned.  Dentists who get assistants to clean teeth are usually those who are too cheap to hire a dental hygienist to do the job properly! 

3.         Another thing you should do in finding dental care is to ask the standard cost of simple procedures.  Offices should be fine in telling you how much a procedure costs in order for you to compare one against another.  Some offices charge a lot more for the same procedure you could get done somewhere else, but if people don’t ask and know about this they won’t say anything.  Usually if an office is more posh, have a wealthier clientele, or is situated in a more expensive building the prices of treatment will be higher…not necessarily better!  Be careful of this as many people are unaware of this! 

4.         Finally the most important thing in finding dental care is to meet the staff and feel comfortable with them.  If you can have good conversation with the dentist and the rest of the dental team, then it should be no problem finding a new office.  Make sure they explain all of the procedures well so that you understand completely.  Make sure your appointments are scheduled for a decent amount of time and you are not rushed.  Especially for cleanings most adults need one hour!  Do not go to an office that has 30 minute cleaning as you most likely won’t be having a good job done!   Good luck in this search, but just remember it can be difficult to find the perfect office out there, but it will be well worth it when you settle on an office that is right for you!