5 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing a Dentist
Patients are lucky nowadays to have so many great options for their all-important dental care. Our patients in Richmond, VA have a variety of great practices to choose from, but even with so many good options it’s still important to know what questions you should ask when choosing a dentist. All practices are not the same, and it’s worth it to do a little research when searching for your forever dental home.
To assist you, we have put together a list of 5 questions you should ask when choosing a dentist.
5 Questions to Ask when Choosing a Dentist
1. Do You Have Appointments that work with my schedule?
Your dental health is more important that you may realize. In fact, recent studies link poor oral health to a variety of diseases and health conditions. Due to this correlation, it’s crucial when choosing a dentist that you find a practice with appointments that actually work within your schedule! If you keep putting off your next dental visit because you can’t find time in your schedule, we recommend finding a practice that has extended hours and is open on Fridays (many dental offices are only open Monday-Thursday).
2. Do youR doctors participate in regular continuing education?
Dental experience is important, but so is recent dental education. Even if a doctor has been practicing for many years, it’s still important that they are proactive about keeping up with the latest dental trends and treatment options. Dentistry has changed dramatically in the last 20 years and as a patient, you expect that your dentist keep up with these changes. Make sure when choosing a dentist to ask about their level of commitment to continuing education.
3. does your practice utilizE digital x-rays?
As we mentioned above, dental technology has come a long way in recent years. One of the best advancements made in dental technology is digital x-rays, or digital radiographs. Not only do digital x-rays allow dentists to see tooth decay much more clearly, they also give them a better image of the entire mouth. The images are a much higher quality that traditional film, not to mention they use about 70% less radiation. And as an added bonus for the patient, digital x-rays are significantly more comfortable than film. Most importantly, though, digital x-rays allow your dentist to see small problems before they turn into larger ones – which frequently means less invasive and less costly treatment.
4. What do you other patients have to say about their dental experience?
In the world of online reviews, there is plenty of opportunity to research a dentist before booking an appointment as a new patient. It’s important to take feedback from other people with a grain of salt, but it provides an excellent baseline for the type of dental experience and the type of dental practice that it is. And what if you can’t find any online reviews or public feedback about the practice? The absence of reviews may speak for itself – maybe it is a small practice without a large enough patient base to generate reviews. Or maybe there is just nothing overtly positive or negative for people to comment on. But as with anything else, you should do your due diligence and attempt to find out what others say about their experience with that dental practice.
5. Can the doctor communicate with me in a way I can understand?
Many healthcare professionals are guilty of not being able to speak to patients in a language they can understand. But when you are choosing a dentist, you need to make sure the doctor is able to easily explain what they observe in your mouth. At River Run Dental, we ask all of our new patients how they liked to be communicated with. Do their prefer bottom line information or do like prefer to know all the details? This helps our doctors tailor their communication so they are explaining things in a way their patients actually understand.
Conclusion
Choosing a dentist can feel overwhelming, but asking the right questions during your search will ensure that you choose the right dental provider for your family.
