Your Smile, Your Choice: 5 Tips for Finding the Perfect Dentist
Your smile is more than a reflection of your joy, it’s a window into your overall health and well-being. Oral hygiene plays an important role in connecting the health of your mouth and health of your body. This is called the oral-systemic connection. This simply means that oral health impacts your overall health, and systemic health (the presence of various diseases and disorders in your body) can affect your oral health as well.
A beautiful smile has a direct influence on your confidence, appearance, and physical wellness. And the first step to attaining the smile of your dreams is matching with your perfect dental team. The right dentist recognizes the importance of your unique smile and will be your partner on the path to optimal health.
#1 - Find a practice with a high community reputation.
“Community reputation” describes the measure of how much respect, admiration, credibility, and trust a business has earned by its neighbors and peers. A positive reputation is impossible to build overnight, so a dental practice with a good reputation, is likely one who’s been reliably serving the community for many years with excellent service and genuine care.
Choosing a dental team with a high standing in the community means you’re choosing a dentist who values patient care and ethical dentistry. They are consistent in creating positive experiences and seek out community endorsement from trusted patients. To find a practice with a good reputation, we recommend reading what other patients say on Google. Google reviews offer an opportunity for patients to share their honest feedback and experience with the community. Any practice with a rating higher than 4.5 can be trusted with a high reputation.
#2 - Find a practice that offers comprehensive services.
With so many options available for dental care, it’s important to find a dentist who can address most of your oral health needs under one roof.
Our team is proud to offer:
Preventative care which addresses dental decay and disease before it spreads throughout the body. We help our patients save time and money by focusing on preventative treatment like dental x-rays, oral cancer screenings, and routine hygiene maintenance.
Periodontal care focuses on the health of the gums and bone structures that surround your teeth. The goal is to prevent, diagnose, and treat chronic inflammation of the gums, called periodontal disease.
Restorative care is the practice of rebuilding proper function and usability of your smile through treatments like composite fillings, dental crowns, bridges, and dentures.
Cosmetic care which changes the appearance of your smile with services like teeth whitening, composite bonding, and dental veneers.
Beyond the ease and convenience, a team who can provide a variety of services allows for a more proactive and integrated approach to treatment. By bringing comprehensive care to one place, your dentist is ensuring you have access to the highest level of treatment available.
#3 - Find a practice that is accessible and convenient.
Although it can be important to find a dentist you love who is close to home, a convenient and accessible practice includes so much more. When choosing the perfect dental team, consider the following questions:
Does the practice offer online scheduling?
Do the practice hours work with my family's schedule?
Will the practice send reminder messages so I don’t forget my upcoming appointments?
Does the practice have online paperwork I can complete before check-in?
Will the practice file dental insurance claims on my behalf?
These patient-friendly options will make your visits more streamlined by minimizing your wait time and eliminating the possibility of double-booked appointments. You can be sure that once your appointment with us is confirmed, we are committed to dedicating a special time in our schedule for you. We know that when we demonstrate how much we respect your time, our patients will be more likely to maintain routine dental visits.
#4 - Find a practice with modern technology.
Modern technology elevates patient care by improving the quality of treatment. Dentists use advanced imaging technology like digital x-rays to get an early and accurate picture of the health of your teeth and jawbones. Dental issues like cavities and gum disease require treatments that are less extensive and less expensive the earlier you catch them, so it’s important to find a dentist who invests in equipment that leads to a higher level of care.
Another important advancement in dentistry are intraoral scanners, a digital impression system that eliminates the need for messy dental molds. These intraoral scanners are commonly used to capture a patient’s teeth and oral structures for precise planning of dental crowns, mouthguards, and clear aligner treatments. With intraoral scanners, you and your dentist can get a real-time image of your mouth in minutes, allowing for better collaboration and understanding of your treatment plan.
#5 - Find a practice that treats you like family.
Your perfect dentist will treat you with the level of care that they would show to their mother or child. Practices with this philosophy exhibit it in every aspect of your appointment, from your initial phone call, to a warm welcome by the front desk, and gentle treatment by the clinical team. This personal touch is what makes patients feel like family. By choosing a dentist who considers you part of the family, you’re cultivating a key relationship in your journey to a happier, healthier smile.
Are we your perfect dental team?
As you continue your search for a dental family you can trust, we encourage you to reflect on these five tips that matter the most. Your oral health is a vital component of your overall well-being, and the relationship you build with your dental team plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy, confident smile. If your current dentist doesn’t align with your needs and expectations for care, consider us as your new dental family.
