Whether the dentist you’ve come to trust is retiring, or you are relocating, you will need to embark on the long and often frustrating task of looking for a new family dentist. Regardless of where you live, chances are there are several family dentists.
But how do you start your search?
Asking for recommendations has been and will always be the best place to start. Ask your current practitioner whether they know any ideal dentists in the area you’re relocating to. If they are retiring, ask about the practitioner that will take their place and if possible, schedule for a meeting.
Also, you can ask your close friends and relatives for recommendations. If you can’t get one, fire up Google and do a local search. You will come across an array of dentists that you can vet based on the information you come across.
That being said, what features of a great family dentist should you look for?
- The Location
The last thing you want is to drive across the city for a dentist appointment, particularly when you have multiple appointments in your family. A family dentist should be easily accessible location-wise.
- Services Availability
Can you and your loved ones get dental treatments performed at the same office? Is the practitioner is a genuine family dentist, or do they only engage in pediatric dentistry?
Children and adults need similar basic oral care, but the needs can sometimes vary. For instance, children might need sealants while adults may require dental implants.
A family dentist that provides a comprehensive services package that meets both you and your child’s needs will save you headaches, gas money, and time when scheduling appointments.
- Experience in Pediatric Dentistry
You will come across general practice dentists that claim to be family dentists with the aim of getting business and profit. More often than not, their experience in dealing with young patients is limited.
Pediatric dentistry is special as it adjusts the general dentistry procedures to make them more comfortable and safer for kids. As you may have guessed, proper training and experience in orthodontics, child sedation, child anesthesia, oral trauma as well as infant oral health are needed.
Apart from the above, a pediatric dentist needs to be friendly and have a certain demeanor, not forgetting welcoming. Their client service skills need to be tailored to ease the fears and concerns common in children when it comes to dental healthcare.
