Proper dental care is a vital part of any healthy living plan. But if you're new to an area, or simply want to leave your old dentist, finding a good dental care provider can seem daunting. There are a few simple tips for finding a dentist who can best serve your needs over a longer period of time.
Consider Your Needs
If you only need routine care, then any general dentist office, such as Silverado Family Dental, could work for you. But if you need cosmetic work done, you should look for a general dentist who also offers teeth whitening services and advanced assistance such as veneers. This way, you don't have to wait for a referral to a cosmetic dentist. You can get all of your needs taken care of under one roof. Some oral surgeons also offer general dentist services. If you need frequent root canals or dental implants, this might work best for you.
Check Availability
Dentist offices are usually open during standard daytime business hours, but that might directly conflict with your work schedule. Look for an office that also has availability during the weekends so that you don't need to take a day off work simply to get a tooth filled. But office hours aren't the only availability consideration.
Ask each dentist office how they handle off-hours emergencies such as a broken tooth. The dentist should have some sort of contingency plan in place even if it's simply a referral to a colleague or emergency room.
Consider Costs
If you have dental insurance, check with your provider to see what local dentists are included in your plan, and go from there. If you don't have dental insurance, ask each dentist office how they would handle billing. Some offices offer automatic discounts for the uninsured. Others are willing to set up reasonable payment plans for services. The dental office might also refer you to a partcipating dental savings plan, which involves paying a flat fee each year to receive a range of dental discounts.
At the end of the day, choosing the right dentist will come down to a combination of personalized factors, and you won't fully know how well you like a particular dentist and office setting until you experience your first appointment. If you don't like the service for some reason, discuss the issue with the staff to see if it can be resolved. Otherwise, you can return to your dentist search.
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