If you are looking for a new Kitchener Dentist, you'll want to make sure they are a good fit for you and your family. There are a number of ways that you can conduct a fruitful search and I'd like to offer some helpful tips for making sure you find the best Kitchener Family Dentist for your family!
So, what I'm writing here is meant to be a short condensed read that will allow you to gain maximum help with minimum time expenditure. When you see new patients each year, you get a sense of what they liked and did not like about previous offices and experiences. From all of my new patient interactions each year, I can distill the information down to a simple helpful list of the things that matter most to dental patients.
So, let's get to helping you find the right Kitchener Dentist for you...
So, it turns out that people like familiar faces. Patients like seeing the same 1 or 2 Dentists each time they visit the dental office. We see a lot of new patients who note that they (or their kids) saw a different Dentist each time they visited their old office.
I can tell you that continuity does matter. When you see the same Dentist repeatedly over time, they understand you, your preferences and your teeth. If your Kitchener Dentist knows you, they'll be less likely to mistake pain from nighttime tooth grinding as a sign that you need a root canal treatment. They'll know and remember that you need more freezing than the average patient. They may even remember that you only like to be reclined halfway for dental work.
Given that the Dental Office can be an anxiety-provoking setting for many, wouldn't you prefer seeing the same familiar face at each appointment?
Continuity matters because it helps to make you more comfortable and less anxious and I'd even argue that your dental care and treatment will be superior seeing a single Kitchener Dentist over time.
If you want great service and an honest, competent dental home, that can come in many shapes and sizes. So how do you identify the places that will keep you happy?
Well, what you're looking at measuring is reputation. You can get a sense of this in a few ways. If you have a friend that recommends a Kitchener Dentist that they've gone to for a long time, that's a pretty good lead. If you want to measure aggregate reputation of a large number of measurements, you'll need to go online.
What's a good way to conduct an online search?
Well start with identifying local options. To do this you can punch "Kitchener Dentist" or "Dentist Near Me" into Google. You'll get a list of Kitchener Dentists and some ratings as well.
If you see a Dentist with lots of high ratings, take the time to read at least a few of the reviews. You'll want to know why other people like their clinic. Is it because they offer organic coffee in the waiting area (this may be important to you and that's totally okay!) or because they follow up with their patients by phone after appointments? Is it because they have low turnover or because they bill directly to your dental insurance provider?
You'll want to make sure that other people like them because they do the things that are important to you, too!
This is a big one for most modern families. People are busy working and taking care of their children. Many would prefer not to miss work to attend dental appointments. For most, you'll be looking for a clinic that is open at least 5 days a week and that can offer evening appointments. A dental clinic open on weekends is a "plus" as well.
The easiest way to search hours is, again, using a search on Google. You can access hours of service from the clinic's website or directly on their Google My Business listing.
You may also want to confirm by phone with the dental clinic you choose as they may not keep hours on their website or Google listings up to date.
Most people now want a Dentist that will bill fees to their insurance provider directly. The days of paying a thousand dollars out-of-pocket and waiting 6 weeks to be reimbursed can be a thing of the past. You just need to find a direct-billing Dentist in Kitchener.
You won't find this information using a Google search typically. A Kitchener Dentist may disclose their billing policy on the clinic website. You'll probably want to reach out by phone though to confirm that they offer direct-billing if that is indeed important to you.
Some Dentists want to make everything ideal. Lost a tooth? Gotta replace it. Imperfect alignment? You need Invisalign. Others are more concerned with your health and function and embrace the fact that there's a range to what's normal or healthy.
Other offices may have a more cosmetic approach. You may get treatment recommendations to improve your health with suggestions for improving the esthetics of your smile sprinkled in.
So, what's essential?
Well, the key really is knowing what's important to you. For many patients, being free of gum disease, tooth decay and infection is enough. If you want a Dentist who can suggest treatments to change your smile, that's fine - you'll want to connect with a reputable cosmetic Dentist.
So it might be helpful to think about what you're looking for in a dental home before you start your search.
If you'd like to read an article on finding a top-level pediatric Dentist for your son or daughter, check out Dr. Mark Burhenne's useful article here.
By Dr. Kyle Hornby, Kitchener Dentist
Our Dentist Office in Kitchener is conveniently located Downtown. We are a short drive away for families in Waterloo, Breslau & St. Jacobs. Our central location means we truly offer family dentistry near you!
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Accordingly, always seek the advice of your Dentist or other healthcare providers regarding a dental condition or treatment.
