When looking for new orthodontic care, the American Dental Association recommends asking friends or family for referrals, looking into the dentist’s years of experience, and assessing the quality of services they offer, together with their innovation levels. Below, we unpack these three requirements in detail to help you find a dentist you can trust.
Ask people whose opinions you trust for a referral.
The best way to find a dentist you can trust is by asking friends and family members who’ve recently had orthodontic procedures for referrals. To get the best results, seek referrals from people who’ve had dental procedures like the one you’re hoping to have. So, if you’re looking to get Invisalign adult braces, for instance, ask for referrals to book a braces consultation with an orthodontist who has experience dealing with new patients interested in the type of braces you’re looking for.
Once you have a list of seemingly reliable dentists, most will offer a free orthodontic consultation, so take advantage of this to interview and learn more about the dentist before making a long-term commitment to the practice.
Consider the dentist’s service packages and years of experience.
When it comes to who you trust with your dental care, their years of experience matter. This is because the higher their experience level, the better your chances of getting the best orthodontic treatment. Knowing this, take advantage of your initial consultation to find out about their training level because for practice areas like endodontics and orthodontics, specialized dentistry training is required. Also, don’t be afraid to ask about what dental school they went to, to help you get a sense of their expertise.
Besides this, also look into the services they offer. This is important information to have because it’ll be convenient for you to have a dentist who offers a comprehensive dental treatment plan. By this, we mean, if you’d like more than just standard dental care such as regular cleaning, you’d want to know that you can trust your dentist to handle all of your oral health needs. The best dentists these days offer full dental treatment options that include cosmetic dentistry, adult braces, and pediatric dentistry—once you’re ready to start a family.
Lastly, also consider the dental innovations they have adopted. Dental innovations in Mesa, for instance, are always evolving to include the latest technology in teledentistry services, for the days when you can’t make it for an in-person orthodontic consultation. Beyond this, dental offices that have the latest technology when it comes to oral health services will always provide better services compared to those that have older equipment.
Consider dentists within your insurance network.
How you’ll afford your dental treatment plan is an important factor to consider when looking for a dentist. To avoid out-of-pocket dental costs, find a dentist that’s covered by your insurance plan. Most insurers these days include dental insurance as part of their insurance packages, so contact your insurance company to find out if your prospective dentist is part of their insurance network. They’ll also inform you of insurance restrictions to your treatment if any. Some of these restrictions could be that certain orthodontic treatment procedures such as Invisalign treatment or installing traditional metal braces aren’t covered by your insurer.
The best dentists offer different payment options, so during your first appointment, you should ask what payment plans they have available. A dental payment plan opens you up to different financial options that allow you to make payments at a pace that’s comfortable for you. Dental work can be costly, and even if your dental insurance helps cover these costs, it may not always be enough. One of the most common dental payment plans includes using a third-party financing company such as CareCredit or Wells Fargo’s Dental Patient Servicing.
