How to Compare Dentists

Dentists have many responsibilities when it comes to your oral health. With the help of their dental assistants, they clean your teeth, fill cavities, perform root canals and inspect for gum disease. Choosing a dentist that you believe is professional and capable requires that you research all available options in your area, ask detailed questions and evaluate performance objectively.

Instructions

• 1

  Verify that all dentists you are considering have their degrees as a doctor of dental surgery (D.D.S.) or doctor of dental medicine (D.D.M.). This ensures that they have attended at least four years of dental schooling, gained enough practical hours and passed examinations to be considered qualified by the state to practice dental procedures.

• 2

  Visit with the dentists and their staffs before booking an appointment for any dental work. Pay attention to how they treat their fellow staff members, other patients and, most importantly, you. Note whether they ask you questions about your previous dental care, what you are looking for in a new dentist or other questions of genuine concern over money matters.

• 3

  Schedule an appointment for a routine or minor procedure such as a tooth cleaning with your top-choice dentist before handing other major tooth problems over to them. Evaluate their professionalism, timeliness and thoroughness. Note whether you were comfortable during the procedure or experienced pain due to possibly bad practice. Schedule your next routine procedure with the second dentist on your list if the first does not meet your qualifications.

• 4

  Examine the way the dentist and her staff keep your charts and records. If you are only in the dentist's office twice a year, it is necessary that they keep accurate records of your dental health.

• 5

  Ask other patients of the dentists about their honest opinion of his work, professionalism and pricing. Take this advice into consideration when scheduling appointments.

• 6

  Keep your own records of dental work done by specific offices. Bad dental work will not last long. If a filling falls out, make sure you trust an more qualified dentist to do the repair work.