How to Find A Good Dentist: 7 Tips | Silicon Valley Dentistry

 Teeth are a vital part of our body as they play an important role in the chewing process of food,

which also eases the process of digestion. So, it becomes absolutely important to take care

of such an important organ.

It has been found that even a single problem in a tooth will keep bothering people the entire day

with the entire body. It will not only cause pain and hurt, but it will also disturb you

physically, mentally, and emotionally, no matter how small or big the wound or problem

of the tooth is.

So, it becomes absolutely important to find a good dentist who not only gives good quality

treatment for our teeth but also advises us and guides us on how to have good dental health

and also tells us about the management of our teeth.

But, before moving on to the tips on how to find a suitable and right dentist for yourself,

you should consider five important factors while selecting a dentist.

5 Factors to Consider while Selecting a Dentist

1. A dentist from your dental insurance- It is always easy and advisable to have a

2. dentist who is part of your dental insurance you have opted for. 

In case if you are unsure about the dentists in your dental insurance or have doubts about

their services, do contact your dental insurance provider about it and also check out about

them, their background, and their services from your contacts, and you also check out by

yourself by personally visiting them.

2. Select a Dentist who is a part of a particular professional group or also with dental groups which are under government charge- It is always considered advisable that we

3. must opt for those dentists who are part of big prestigious professional groups

4. as they are trusted and verified professionals. 

In such groups, only professional dentists who have verified identities and have a good

professional dental career are allowed to have memberships in such top prestigious

professional groups.

For example, in the USA, there is a separate well-known professional group for

a dentist called 'American Dental Association' (ADA), which is known for its high-quality

dentist who is registered and approved.

3. Functional Dentist- We all want an available dentist who will be there for us

4. anytime and anywhere in treatment and consultation. 

Functional dentists are those who guide you on your dental health and also help you in

dealing with various dental problems. They also suggest therapies for the maintenance of

teeth and dental health.

It is believed that most functional dentists are those who are highly experienced and skilled

in their profession. So, having functional dentists will solve our maximum dental problems.

4. Type of Dental Work- Different people face different types of dental problems.

5. There are various types of dental and teeth-related problems like a tooth cavity,

6. tooth decay, improper implantation of teeth, missing teeth, etc. 

For every type of dental problem, there is a different dentist or a dental specialist to

address the dental issue. Even in dentistry, there are different categories for dental

specializations and dental experts for dealing with specific dental problems.

Types of Dentists 

1. Orthodontists- They deal with misaligned teeth 

2. Periodontists- They specialize in gum-related diseases and also are experts in dental treatment. 

3. Prosthodontists- They work for the restoration or replacement of broken or lost teeth. 

4. Endodontists- They deal with root canal treatment for the healing of the infected pulp and

5. also deals with the healing process after the root canal treatment. 

6. Oral Surgeons- They specialize in problems related to oral health like

7. irregular tooth extractions, cleft palate surgery, and surgery for the correction of the jaw. 

It completely depends on you what type of dentists you want. You can also consult a

specialized dentist depending on your problem, or you can also consult a general

dentist who is an expert in all areas of dental health.

5. Dentist with Translator- As we all know that most people are not that good or experts

in the English language as most people have English as their second language around

the world. Even people lack medical and dental knowledge as all are not medical and dental experts.

So, it becomes absolutely important for a dentist to have a translator who can communicate

with people who don't have English as their native language. Translators can also help

those who lack knowledge with medical terminologies so that patients can understand

what dentists are trying to communicate with them.

If we consider all these factors while choosing or selecting a dentist, we will have

experience of good dental treatment along with good dental health.

Now, let's move on to the tips to search for the right and suitable dentist.

Tips to Find a Good Dentist 

Consideration of the above factors will be highly helpful for those who will apply

all the tips to find a good and right dentist. In other words, it will narrow down your

search for the right dentist.

1. Ask People Around You- Asking people around you or asking people whom

2. you trust, like your classmates, co-workers, family, friends, and relatives.

3. This will give you an idea about the services and consultancy provided by the dentists who

4. offer the people around you their services. 

If possible, do ask them about the quality of the services they offer, their character,

and their background, along with their behavior. This will get you an idea about the

working or the work culture of the dentists in your society.

2. Reference from Pharmacists or Physicians- It is always safe and advisable to consult

3. your family doctor or the local pharmacist as they have good knowledge about the dentists

4. and also they have good networks with medical and dental professionals. 

It would be even great if you ask them about the dentists they visit for their dental treatment.

This may turn out to be highly helpful as doctors and pharmacists know well with which

dentist to consult and to take treatment of high quality.

3. Database of Dental Society- It is always a great idea to also look into the databases of

4. the dental societies as these professional and prestigious societies will have verified

5. and approved dental professionals with them. 

For example, if you want to find the best dentist in Australia, do a search and look up the

database of the Australian Dental Association. If you want to search for the best dentists in

Canada, do visit the database of the Canadian Dental Association.

This is one of the easiest methods or tips to fight the right dentists for yourself because here,

you don't require to do special research or ask people around as all the details about the dentists

will be available in their database.

So, if you are feeling lazy for research or don't like asking people around, please do use this

method as all the information in the professional dental societies about the dentists are

verified and approved by the standards of the dentists and dental associations.

4. Dental Insurance Network- Though it is not at all necessary, reviewing your

5. dental insurance networks may also help you in finding the right or

6. suitable dentists around you. 

For that, you have to contact your dental insurance provider. Then, after that, check the

lists of both general dentists and specialized dentists along with their other details and

check whether they are partnered with your dental insurance and dental plans.

This may be helpful to an extent if you do not want to do or go for a long search or

research for dentists.

5. Search on Internet- Using the internet is also a quite good way to search for a dentist.

6. The search results might not always be genuine or of good quality, but they can give

7. you a list of good sets of dentists near you. 

You can use websites or search engines like google, yahoo, bing, etc. Using review websites

by patients and experts can also be highly helpful for the selection of the right dentist for

yourself and your family.

For example, if you search in Google for 'dentist near me, it will come up with all results

of the list of the dentists who are working in and near your area. If you want to look up

for  'good dentist in Milpitas' and 'dental care in Milpitas,' it will help you in showing

the lists of results related to the dentists of Milpitas along with the reviews and ratings of the people.

6. Questions and Website Visit- If you want to get an idea about good dentists and

7. good dental homes, do visit their websites and ask questions about their qualifications, specializations, and services they offer. 

Read every detail carefully mentioned on the website. Though it is not necessary that a

good dentist must be equipped with a good website, a well-equipped website will be highly

helpful to gain knowledge and other details about the dentists without much effort.

7. Double Check on Verification Documents- We all want to protect ourselves from

8. anything which is of bad quality and is illegal. We all want to play safe, so it is

9. obvious that we need to check things twice or thrice from various sources to

10. ensure that we don't make any mistakes while getting treatment for our dental health. 

Check the double-checked board certification and state licensure documents to ensure

that it is approved by both professional institutions as well as with the consent of the government.

For example, if you are looking for a dentist in the USA, do visit the "short-list" section

by the American Board of Dental Specialities (ABDS) if you want to check out the

certifications of a particular dentist or a dental home in the USA.

How to protect yourself from a bad dentist? 

Here are the following tips you can use for protecting yourself from the bad dentists:

● Check the office of the dentist. Check the way the dentist maintained the office.

If the office is unclear or if you find it inappropriate in terms of sanitation, then leave

that dental home at that moment because cleanliness is an important factor for any dental home.

● Observe the behavior of the staff and the dentist. If they possess rude, impatient, or

defensive attitudes, it means they are not ethical and professional in their field because

medical professionals have to be decent in their behavior with the patients.

● If you feel uncomfortable with the dentists or if you are unhappy with any of their services, sanitation, or behavior, then leave that place or person then and there and start looking for

further options because your comfort is important above all.

Hope we helped to guide you on how to find a good and suitable dentist who can cater to

your needs depending on your dental problems, along with how to save yourself from the

fraudulent or bad-quality dentist.

Good luck if you are going for dental treatment and do the search process carefully.