How to Choose the Best Dentist in Your Area

Knowing how to choose the best dentist in your area is easier than ever before thanks to the internet. You can get all of the information you need in a few clicks or searches, but sometimes the amount of information you find can be overwhelming. What should you look for? How do you know a dentist is a good fit for your needs? Here are some tips to help you make your decision.

Even in the information age, word-of-mouth recommendations continue to be the most powerful form of advertising for dentists because they come from people you trust. When a friend or family member tells you they like their dentist, you listen! If you’re looking for a new dentist, it’s worth asking around to see if the people you know have any recommendations.

Rather than reading every single review posted about a dentist, look for reviews that are relevant to your needs. If, for example, you’re looking for a cosmetic dentist in your area who provides a variety of dental cosmetic services, search reviews to find patients who have gotten the service you need from the dentist you’re researching and see how they rated their experience. Give more weight to more recent reviews rather than older ones, as they’re more likely to reflect the current technology, techniques, and staff members of a practice.

Starting with recommendations and reviews helps you narrow down your choices, but the websites of the dentists you’re considering are even more important because they’ll help you decide if a practice is a good fit for your needs. Here are some factors things to consider:

• Dental insurance – If you have dental insurance, you’ll want to make sure any practice you consider will submit claims and forms for you, whether they are in-network or out-of-network.
• Services offered – Not every practice offers every dental service, so make sure any practice you’re considering offers the treatments and procedures you need now or anticipate needing or wanting later, like cosmetic dentistry. This way, you won’t need to go to multiple practices for different treatments.
• Technology – Technology changes quickly in the dental field, so to ensure the best possible care, you’ll want to make sure any dentist you go to uses the latest technology in their practice. These tools make your dental treatments safer and more effective.

If you’re looking for a skilled, knowledgeable dentist in Wesley Chapel, Dr. Luz Hernandez is a member of the American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, West Coast Dental Association, American Association of Facial Esthetics, and Hills Borough Dental Research Clinic. She believes in the importance of continuing education and training, and is an alumnus of the prestigious Dawson Academy and Spears Institute.

Finding the best dentist in your area can take some research, but when you find the right fit, you may end up seeing them for decades, so it’s time well spent! If you’d like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hernandez, contact us today at (813) 238-7725.