More than half of Americans have put off going to the dentist because of COVID-19.
Oral health is closely connected to overall health and avoiding the dentist can have serious health consequences.
Knowing how to find the best dentist for your needs can help ensure you get the care your teeth, and body, deserve. Keep reading for our top 5 tips for finding the best Boise dentist.
1. Ask Around
One of the best ways to find a good dentist in your area is to ask for recommendations from people you trust. This can include family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
If you know someone with a stunning smile, ask them who keeps it looking so great. People who are happy with their dentist will be proud to pass along their name and number.
If you need more advanced dental work, chances are you know someone who has had extensive work done. Don’t be afraid to ask them who did their work and whether they would recommend the provider for you as well.
2. Ask Your Doctor
Another way to find a dentist you can trust is to ask your doctor who they use.
As medical professionals, they are more likely to have a good dentist. They also are likely to have received feedback about local dentists while working with patients of their own.
Asking another medical professional is a good way to get a list of trustworthy and reputable dentists in Boise.
3. Ask Your Insurance Company
If you have dental insurance and you plan to use it, you can locate a local dentist through your insurance company.
Your insurance provider can give you a list of dentists that are in their provider network. These dentists have contracts with your insurance company to provide services at an affordable rate.
However, unlike medical insurance, dental insurance doesn’t always come into play when choosing a dentist. Many dental offices will work with you to create estimates for services and payment plans.
So if you have don’t have dental insurance, or a Boise dentist you like isn’t in your network, that’s okay. You can still get affordable dental care.
If you can find a dentist in your insurance network who is also highly regarded by those you trust – win win!
4. Go Online
The internet is a great resource for finding information about goods and services and dental care is no exception.
You can learn a lot about dental providers by searching for them online. Start by using a search engine like Google to search for dentists in your area. You’ll find a list of local dentists as well as reviews from previous patients.
Reviews from actual patients can be invaluable if you know how to interpret them. You can sort providers by top-rated reviews or read through them yourself and check poorly rated offices off your list.
You can also search for Boise dentists directly on a review site that features dental providers. Examples include Angie’s List, ZocDoc, CareDash, and Yelp.
Once you have your list of potential providers narrowed down, check out their websites. While having a good website isn’t necessarily a requirement for a good dentist, just about everyone has a website. The best dentists will put time and effort into making their website useful and easy to navigate.
Look for information about their practice and their staff, the services they provide, their specialties and skills, and patient reviews. A good website is usually an indicator of a practice that is worth following up with.
5. Make a List of Questions to Ask
The previous tips will help you create a shortlist of dentists in Boise to follow up with. Once you have your list, you should contact dentists that you are interested in.
Before making these calls, you’ll need to create a list of questions you want to ask. This list of questions should include whether the dentist is in your insurance network if you have insurance as well as whether they have the skills and experience needed to solve your particular problem if you need more than just routine dental care.
If you are looking for dental care for your family, be sure to ask about their services for kids.
You might want to ask about a dentist’s education, experience, and qualifications as well as whether they are a member of any dental societies or associations. Be sure to ask about costs and whether the work you need can be done in-house or whether you will be referred out.
If you have anxiety about going to the dentist, be sure to ask what steps they take to help make patients with dental phobias comfortable.
It can also be helpful to ask about logistics including location, office hours, and procedures for dental emergencies or after-hours care. Finding a dentist that works with your schedule is important to ensure you keep your appointments.
Are You Looking for a Boise Dentist?
Don’t be one of the millions of American that delays taking care of their oral health.
While skipping a cleaning can seem harmless enough, oral health can be one of the earliest indicators of a number of systemic diseases. Visiting your dentist regularly can ensure you and your family are healthy, happy, and have the skills you need to maintain good oral hygiene at home.
If you have a specific problem, addressing it sooner rather than later can help save you time, money, and pain.
We are a top-rated Boise dentist accepting new patients.
Click here to contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.
