Your dental health professional has a lot of responsibilities, and choosing a dentist you can trust can be a hard job. They have to be appropriately qualified, have ample experience and they should be able to care for everyone in your family.
So, how do you go about looking for a qualified dentist? Should you sift through the yellow pages or the Facebook search bar? Are there any other factors to keep in mind? Here’s what you need to know about finding the best family dentist in Richmond Hill.
The Right Qualifications and Experience
Let’s start with the basics. If you have never read the plaques that dentists put on the walls, you should start now. You’re entrusting this person with your entire family’s dental health, and you should know where they studied to practice dentistry, and what kind of qualifications they have.
For instance, if a dentist’s area of expertise is aesthetic or cosmetic only, they wouldn’t be the ideal fit to treat oral diseases. Similarly, if they do not regularly perform surgical procedures, it will make your future with them uncertain. Don’t be afraid to ask a dentist about their qualifications and experiences to determine if they will be a good fit for your family.
Ask for Referrals
The best way to start finding a great dentist in Richmond Hill is to ask for referrals. If you know a friend who is satisfied with their family’s dental care, see if their dentist is suitable for you. However, don’t book an appointment based on one referral. Ask more than one person, and look into reviews from clients.
List of Services
While you’re doing your research, have a look at the list of services the dentist has to offer. This is especially important because the kind of services offered differs from one clinic to another. Most dental practices will cover the basics such as checkups, fillings, and scaling, but you should plan for the future (e.g. seeing if sedation dentistry or cosmetic dentistry are available in case you need them).
Location and Availability
One of the biggest challenges getting your family to the dentist is working around schedules—you want a dentist that offers appointment times that work with your schedule. For example, if you need to make appointments on nights or weekends, keep this in mind when you’re searching for a dentist. Plus, what’s the point of seeing a family dentist if they’re unavailable in an emergency situation? It’s also a good idea to make sure your dentist is located close to your home or workplace for easier availability.
Child-Friendly Environment
It is extremely important for your dentist to have experience treating children. Kids, especially younger ones, tend to be wary of dental procedures; a dental clinic really can look like the scariest place to an 8-year-old! If your dental care professional knows how to make children comfortable, they’re in the running to be your family dentist. Some dentists have bright and well-decorated waiting areas with themed rooms or popular characters so kids love coming to the office!
It may be a challenge finding the right dental practitioner for the whole family, but we hope that these tips will make the process a little bit easier. Good luck!