Find a Good Dentist Near Me

You have procrastinated for years getting your annual dental check up, when all of a sudden you have tooth pain, Oh no, you might need a good dentist. So, you wonder, "Where can I find a good dentist near me?" Most people begin by asking their family and friends. After all, the idea of going to a dentist might be a little scary, especially when there might be pain involved. The last thing you want is someone to do a poor job and you have to go through the whole thing again. Or, you pay double what others did for the same procedure. 

Sure, you could pick someone randomly from the phone book or online, but do you believe all the reviews you read?  Many people have had success using online directories like SmartGuy.com, which allows you to not only get information on the dentist, but see reviews from multiple sources allowing you to get a more objective opinion. Either way, here are a few things that will help you find a good electrician

Get an Organized Plan 

Make sure you know before you began exactly what you want done. Is it pain in the jaw? A tooth that hurts? just a checkup? or perhaps past dental work that is starting to give you problems. There are many types of dentists, orthodontists and dental surgeons that specialize in different areas. As a result, they will not only be more experienced in your particular need, but often charge less and will lead to later complications later. Just as you wouldn't see a dermatologist (skin doctor) for a heart condition, you want to make sure you visit the right dentist

Obtain a few estimates

Seek a written detailed estimate from each of the dentists you visit. You are not changing carpeting, this is your body and dentists can vary greatly in price, level of service, experience and more. The dentist's estimate should include a summary of labor, material costs, the specific brand of materials, and details of the scope of the job. All veneers, bridges, root canals and other procedures do not all use the same materials or are handled in the same way. 

Visit their dental office

How does it look? Is it neat and clean? Does it appear that they have a clean sterile environment? Keep in mind they will be working in your mouth. If they don't take care of their own office, what makes you think they will take good care of you?

Interview them in person
It is one thing if you are just getting a teeth cleaning, but if it is a major procedure, take the time to meet with and get to know your dentist. Make sure it is someone who you get along with and feel very comfortable with. Do they listen to your concerns? Do they seem knowledgeable to your exact needs? Do they have a good temperament?  How do they treat their staff? The more comfortable you feel with them, the better.

Professional Organizations
Ask the dentist if they are members of any professional organizations. This not only shows their interest in bettering themselves, but can also serve as someone to call to see if they have had any complaints filed against them.

Look into references and work done
Ask for a list of past clients from each dentist and call them to see how they did, how long it took them and if they experienced any issues during or after the dental procedure. You might want to even ask them for references of a few dental procedures they did five years earlier to see how those patients are holding up. While they are certainly not going to give you the names of patients that were unhappy, It is still helpful to speak to a few people (the more recent the better) that can give you better insight in what to expect

Look into reviews

Before hiring the dentist, look and see if they have a BBB rating or SmartGuy rating. You can also enter the dentist’s name followed by the words “rip off” or “scam” and see if anything comes up. There a re a number of websites that will list companies that get repeated complaints

Request a detailed contract

Make sure everything that is discussed pertaining to dental work is in writing. The contract needs to include all the dentist’s information, including: name, address, office and cell numbers, and license number, plus whatever details were in the estimate of work they are doing. It is important that the contract clearly states what is and is not included in the dental procedure.

Request a guarantee
Any good dentist should be confident of his work and be happy to provide a guarantee after the job is done at no or little cost. You want to make sure that it is going to last. If he or she doesn't offer that, beware.