HOW TO FIND A FAMILY DENTIST
Family dentists are great places to meet all of your family’s dental needs. The difference between family practices and traditional dental practices is that traditional practices usually specialize in one age group and one area of dentistry.
This means that you will more than likely need to find different practices for everyone in the family to visit to meet their individual needs. These needs will also change over time, which can mean having to change dentists frequently. Family dentists are a place where everyone’s needs can be met in the same place. Family dentists offer all types of specialties from pediatric dentistry to orthodontics to general adult practitioners. This means you will be able to have a “one-stop-shop” for your entire family.
What to look for in a family practice
If you are considering switching to a family practice, you need to take some things into consideration. For starters, you need to self assess you and your family’s current and potential future needs. You need to make sure that your dentist can meet all of your needs now, but also that as your family’s needs change, the needs will be met then. If you think your kids may need braces some day you want to make sure that the practice you choose offers orthodontic services. It is important that you also consider the rapport that the dentist has with children. You will want to make sure that the dentist is an enjoyable experience for your children. Therefore, the way the dentist interacts with kids is important.
How to find a family dentist
Once you have gotten your list of possible practices, compare them online. You’ll want to look at them to see if they offer the types of services that you need. Online searches will also give you access to customer reviews as well as any information on malpractice or disciplinary issues on their record.
If you have done your homework, the next step would be to schedule consultations with the practice. At these consultations you’ll want to consider the environment of the practice. When you have kids, you should feel like your kids will enjoy their experience. This means, the experience from waiting room to dental chair should meet your children’s needs.
Other things to consider are office hours and location. You’ll want to make sure that they can accommodate your needs for appointments. Another often overlooked consideration is how they handle missed appointments. When you have children, things come up so you’ll want to make sure you have some flexibility with missing or rescheduling appointments. You’ll also want to think about their abilities to handle dental emergencies.
Learn More About Family Dentistry : What is Family Dentistry?