Most people underestimate how difficult it can be to find a good dentist. Many spend a great deal of time researching their primary physician, but pay little attention to their dentist’s qualifications. Oral health is extremely important in maintaining a healthy body, so finding the best dentist for your dental care should not be taken lightly. Experience and proper academic preparation are both important factors in finding your dentist.
As with other aspects of health, prevention is your best ally. Visiting your dentist regularly (even monthly!) can help prevent complications down the line. The earlier one receives treatment or identifies potential issues the less traumatic it is overall. A good dentist should also be able to educate proper oral hygiene in the home.
Before committing to a new dentist one should consider the following-
Location- always try to find a dentist that is within your usual radius. Dentist visits should fit within your life so that you are better able to keep appointments, particularly if you are in need of a series of visits to repair any damage. Proximity is also helpful in case of emergency.
Cost- visiting a dentist could be extremely expensive, especially if you are forced to find a dentist in an emergency. To avoid this, do your homework ahead of time. Identify a dentist covered under your dental plan so your financial liability is minimized. Select a few from approved providers and then decide who will be your primary dental provider. Failure to do so may leave you with a giant bill for dental work.
Insurance – If you do not carry dental insurance and are unable to obtain coverage make sure you prioritize dentist visits in your monthly budget. People often spend their funds in other things until an emergency forces them to visit a dentist and incur a sizeable bill. Try to prevent this by periodically saving up for preventive and routine visits that will keep emergencies at bay. Do your research and identify an affordable dentist in your area, preferably one that will work with you should you need extensive treatment. Make sure cost is not your only consideration, though. Experience and training should always be your deciding factor; not cost. Remember- you get what you pay for.
Specialty – As with other areas of medicine, there are specialists in dentistry as well. Orthodontists, periodontists, dental surgeons, pediatric dentists, family dentist Port Orchard are a few of the specialties covered by the profession. As their specialties suggest, they each concentrate on a specific area of dentistry and you should seek experts in each specialty for complicated tasks. For example, dental work in a child should be performed by a pediatric dentist who is used to treating children and their ailments. Routine care may be performed by a general dentist, but do not lose sight of specialists should your plan of care require it.
Accreditation- make sure your dentist is licensed and current in his accreditations. A basic online search will guide you to the governing bodies of the profession and you will be able to double check your dentist’s license. You should also be able to determine any issues he or she may have had in the past and even reviews from other patients.
