Finding a Good Family Dentist

A family dentist is an important health care provider for most individuals and families. After all, a family dentist is trusted with keeping both you and your children in good health, and good oral health goes beyond dental checkups and semi-annual cleanings. A good dentist needs to be available to handle dental emergencies as well as also being able to perform oral surgery and procedures such as root canals and fillings.

The most common way of finding a family dentist is through your dental insurance. In fact, most dental plans require that you get your dental care from dentists on a list of preferred providers. In this case, your decision is a bit simpler, but there is more to finding a dental care provider than simply checking out a few dentists that are on a list of preferred dental care professionals.

You will first need to make an appointment to meet the dentist and discuss your family's dental care needs. In addition, you will need to evaluate the dentist's chair-side manner and his willingness to listen to your questions and concerns. You should also evaluate the dental office environment and the attitude of the staff and other office employees.

It is also important to evaluate how the family dentist interacts with your child and just as importantly, how your child feels around the dentist. Even though a family dentist claims to offer pediatric dental services not all dentists are good with kids. Also, pay close attention to how either the dentist or dental hygienist cleans your teeth. Does he/she do a thorough job and are they careful not to hurt you or your child in the process?

Your friends and family members as well as co-workers can also help you find a family dentist by recommending someone that they know. Another good place to look is online. With recent enhancements to local search listings such as Google Places and the Bing Business Portal you can find a list of local dental care providers tailored to your area complete with contact information, working hours, and even patient reviews. The customer reviews can be extremely valuable when evaluating any service provider, just be wary of any reviews that sound as if they might come from the dentist himself. These kinds of reviews often are non-specific and over praise the business.

A final note about dental insurance; be aware of the difference between a health care provider "accepting" your insurance and "participating" in your insurance plan. In order to be eligible for full reimbursement of contacted services your family dentist must participate in your insurance plan. Some unethical family dentists will tell your that they accept your insurance plan when in fact they are not a participating provider. Don't get left holding the bag once the bill comes!