Don’t Just Let ANYONE Clean Your Teeth! What to Look for in Your Dentist

Choosing a dentist is one of the most important decisions that you will make in your lifetime. Your dentist holds the key to your oral health, and the secret to a more fulfilling, happier and healthier life. Because of the major role that your dentist will play in your life, we have put together a list of 7 things to look for in a dentist. These 7 things should help you determine the dentist’s level of professionalism, degree of safety and ability to adhere to all of your wants and needs.

The 7 things to look for are:

·     Cleanliness: When choosing a dentist, make sure that their office is clean and organized. Pay special attention to the equipment. Is it clean? Is it rust free? What are their procedures for cleaning and disposing of used instruments or materials? If you feel in any way uncomfortable with their cleaning procedures, leave.It’s not worth the risk to find out later that their equipment was, in fact, dirty and/or contaminated.

·     Level of Education: Not only should your dentist have required schooling, but also, they should always be striving to improve themselves with continued education. Dentistry is always changing, with newer and better techniques, equipment and materials being introduced constantly. If a dentist is unwilling to continue their education, then chances are, they are unwilling to make advancements that are in YOUR best interest.

·     Technology: As I mentioned above, dentistry is always changing for the better, and you want to make sure that your dentist is keeping up. Whether the newest treatment or technique is laser whitening, sedation dentistry or spa-like amenities, it’s important that your dentist provides these treatments and services in order to better serve you.

·     Location and Hours: You don’t want it to seem as if you’re going out of your way to make it to an appointment, so you want your dentist to be near your work or home. Once you’ve found someone in your neighborhood, check out their hours—do they offer evening hours? Weekends? Early mornings? You want to be sure that your dentist can accommodate you, and not the other way around.

·     Trustworthy: This is the most important factor to consider in your decision making process. Because of the importance that your dentist can – and will – play in your life, you want to be sure that they are somebody you can talk openly and candidly with – somebody that you can rely on to always do what is best for you – and somebody you can trust to discuss your wants, needs, goals and desires with. Only once you’ve established that you can have a comfortable relationship with them can you make the final decision and sign on as their patient.

If you take into consideration these 7 factors when choosing YOUR dentist, you will not be disappointed with the end result.

To see how we can be the right dentist for you, visit http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/staff.html