Top Things to Look For When Choosing a Dentist

When it comes to our oral health, it’s important to pick the right people to take care of it. While we can maintain our own health through brushing and flossing, a dentist is still a vital commodity that everyone needs. Picking out your dentist can be daunting, whether you’re looking for a St John’s Wood dentist, or one in a small village, but we’ve pulled together some of the things you need to consider when choosing a dentist.

Clean, Modern facilities
This might seem like a given, but picking out a clean dentist is vital. You can usually tell if a dentist’s chair is going to be clean by seeing the main office and waiting area, so you don’t even need to book an appointment to know. Technology is also a good sign of a clean and modern dentist. Dentistry has rocketed in the past few decades, and technology has played a huge part in that. If you want a reliable, good dentist, they are likely to have up to date, high-quality technology. In particular, this is important with dental x-rays and detecting major oral health issues.

Friendly, Responsive Staff
For most people, a trip to the dentist isn’t high on their list of things they want to do. In fact, plenty of people that visit the dentist are scared or uncomfortable with being there, and so having friendly and responsive staff, from the dentist through to the janitor, is important in maximising comfort. Picking a dentist with friendly staff can help you determine how caring about their patients a practice truly is. A dentist that cares for their patients are likely to do a better, more long-lasting job.

Licencing and recommendations
Check the licencing of your dentist! If the dentist does not have a licence, do not go there. They could be perfect good at their job, but is that something you really want to risk? Check any dental boards for your area to know which dentists are trusted and licenced, and which are not. Similarly, some licenced dentists may not necessarily be a good choice, so listen to recommendations. If a trusted family member or a friend recommends a dentist to you, trust their word!

Cost
This doesn’t so much come down to how much you have to pay for dental care as it comes down to whether or not the dentist is entirely private or not. Most dental facilities will offer two price options – Private and NHS pricing. NHS pricing is standard pricing set by the NHS across all NHS licenced dentists in the UK, and are usually a lot cheaper than the prices set by the dentist themselves. If you can afford the private care, then the cost may not affect you, but NHS dental care can be a cheaper and just as effective solution.

Location
This may seem like another obvious choice, but the location of your dentist should play a big part in which dentist you choose. Or, more specifically, how far you are willing to travel. Unlike a doctor, a dentist isn’t bound by location and so you could potentially book an appointment anywhere. However, if you can’t travel long distances for lack of money for transport or mobility issues, a nearby dentist will probably be better for you than one that is the next town over.