It’s much easier to find one dentist for your whole family than it is to try to juggle appointments at different dental clinics. By finding a dentist that you and your kids love, you can plan appointments together, and dentist trips become a family outing. It may be wise to do a search of ‘the best dentist near me‘ so you can narrow down your parameters and find a fitting one.
Visiting the dentist together means you can lead by example and show your kids that regular dentist visits are important. And if your little ones are slightly nervous about dental checkups, going as a family can ease their nerves.
It’s clear that finding a friendly dentist that can look after your whole family is going to make life much easier. But how do you go about finding the perfect clinic to treat all of you?
1. Consider What Dental Services You Need
Dental clinics don’t always offer the same services and treatment – some may specialise in cosmetic dentistry while others might only offer general dentistry or orthodontic treatment. As explained by a Calgary Orthodontist, dentists are less specialized than orthodontists. Your family orthodontist will have attended an additional two, sometimes even three years of schooling in order to learn how to properly rearrange and align your teeth.
Your little ones might just need general checkups or they might need orthodontic treatments, such as braces for teeth straightening. However, your own dentistry needs will probably differ from your children’s, as your teeth will have experienced more decay over the years. This means you’ll need to find a dentist who can offer a range of services, including cosmetic dental procedures.
When you’re checking out different dentists, make sure they’re able to cater to your whole family’s dental needs.
2. Ask around for Dentist Recommendations
One of the best ways to start looking for dentist recommendations is to ask your friends, relatives and neighbours. They may have visited different dentists in your local area and be able to share their personal experiences with you.
The best people to ask are those who you know are familiar with their dentist – hopefully, you can spot them by their beautiful smiles.
3. Search for Dentists near You
Ah, Google, what would we do without it? Search online for dentists near you and you’ll have your pick.
When you are searching for a local emergency dentist like Dr. Thomas E. Cooke Family Dentistry, you’ll see a list of Google My Business pages. Each listing will show you the location of a particular dental practice as well as its reviews. A quick Google search, and you should be able to find a range of dentists that are both highly reviewed and conveniently close.
4. Read Customer Reviews and Testimonials
The best way to research which dental practice is best for you is to read both Google reviews and testimonials on dental practice websites. This will give you an idea of who its regular customers are and the experiences they’ve had. See if any of the reviews have been made by parents so that you can get an idea of how child-friendly the dental practice is.
Lots of reviewers will also include pictures with their review, so you can check to see what dental clinics look like. Does it look friendly and welcoming? Even better, does it have toys in the waiting room or child-friendly posters on the wall?
5. Consider Dental Clinics That Offer Dental Care Plans
You have two main options when it comes to paying for dental services: you can pay as you go, paying for what you need, when you need it, or you can join a dental care plan.
With dental care plans, you usually pay monthly, and you’ll receive some dental treatments free (such as checkups, x rays and hygienist appointments). Dental care plans also give you discounts on a range of other treatments.
These dental memberships can save you money and break dental costs down into easy-to-manage monthly instalments. If you’re hoping to join a dental care plan, check with different dental clinics to see what plans they offer.
6: Get in Touch with Potential Dentists
Once you’ve done your research and narrowed down your choices, give potential dental clinics a call or drop them an email. The best way to find out if a dental clinic caters to all members of the family is to get in touch and ask. If a practice is happy to take little patients as well as adults, you could then book a consultation for you and your family.
Then it’s time to see how the dentist reacts with your little ones and whether your children feel comfortable at that particular clinic. A good family dentist will help put your children at ease as well as being able to cater to all of your dental needs.
