Monday, January 14, 2019

Searching for a Dentist Near Me: What to Look for When Choosing a New Dentist

You're never fully dressed without a well-taken care of smile. And that's what we love to help people with at Bertagnolli Dental.

If you're looking for a dentist near me but don't know what you're looking for, we've got you covered. Check out our list below to get on your way to a healthy and sparkling smile.

Finding a Dentist Near Me: The Right Insurance Network

As much as you love a certain dentist, it's hard to afford their services if they don't work with your insurance. Some dental offices only accept some insurances, while others will let you submit the claim yourself.

If they're the second kind, you may have to front the money for the service and then get paid back from your insurance.

The best way to find a dentist that takes your insurance is to call your plan provider. If you tell them you're looking for an in-network dentist, they'll give you a list of addresses in your area.

From that list, you can follow the tips below to figure out which dentist is right for you.

Are They Well Respected and Reviewed?

The list your insurance provider gives you won't be ranked in any sort of order. They don't have that information on their end. It's up to you to search out their reviews and testimonials.

The easiest way to do this is to put the names of the clinic into Google. Google reviews are a good place to start because companies don't have to pay to be featured. Some sites that do business reviews aren't free for businesses.

Google My Business is less pay-to-play.

You're looking for at least four stars. If there are negative reviews, what do they site as the issue?

Even more important than the existence of negative reviews is how the business responded to them. If the clinic manager or whoever responded to the review was combative, that's a bad sign.

You want to look for a clinic that's not only willing to admit when they were wrong but want to learn from negative experiences.

If they offered to email the unhappy reviewer to find out more information about their bad experience, that's a good sign.

Make a Top 2 or 3 List

Once you've done the legwork with the reviews, pick your top two or three favorites, depending on how many providers your insurance group gave you.

From those two, you need to find out if the highly-rated dentist provides the type of services you need/want.

Take some time on their website and grab the answers to these questions.

Do They Offer Pediatric Services?

If you're not a parent, this won't matter to you. But if you are, you need to know that your children will be comfortable in the dentist's chair.

Many pediatric dentists or family dentists have special chairs or exam rooms that cater to children.

If they do offer pediatric services, how young do they cater to? Did you know that infants need to see a dentist within their first year? Dentists need to make sure their baby teeth are breaking through correctly/on the right time schedule.

What About Sedation?

A lot of adults didn't have good experiences with dentists as children. Whether they weren't prepped by their parents about what to expect or they didn't go to a pediatric dentist, those fears have lasted the years.

To help provide dental care that doesn't cause more anxiety, high-quality dentists offer sedation services. That means you can have laughing gas or even anesthesia when you're doing your treatment.

If you're interested in sedation services, you need to make sure the clinic is accredited and can safely administer anesthesia. There's a risk any time anyone "goes under" for any procedure.

Do They Do Surgery?

If you do have to get oral surgery, you don't want to find a completely new clinic and surgeon. The best dental clinics have an oral surgeon on-staff for your ease and comfort.

They may contract out to a surgery center, but at least you'll know the person doing your surgery and won't have to worry about finding someone else in-network.

Do they Offer Veneers and/or Implants?

These services sometimes fall under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry, which not all clinics provide. But if you need a veneer repaired or put in place, we've got you covered.

More people are opting for implants now more than ever since they're a lot lower-maintenance than dentures.

What About Cosmetic Dentistry?

Forget those gross, slimy, at home whitening kits. Getting your teeth whitened at your dentist's office is much more efficient and cost-effective for the results you get.

It's also safer for your teeth since it's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Your dentist can tell you if you're a good fit for the procedure based on things like the sensitivity of your teeth.

Our clinic, unlike a lot of other dental clinics, not only offers teeth whitening, but we do Botox. Imagine going to the dentist and coming home with a shining smile and fewer laugh lines.

You'll be the happiest person on the block!

Final Thoughts

In the end, it's all about the reviews the dentist has and the feeling you get when you call or visit. Your first appointment should be easy and pleasant to schedule online or over the phone.

If you're looking for a dental clinic that checks off all the boxes on this list, come see Bertagnolli Dental in Broomfield. We have loyal patients who come from all over the front range to experience our friendly and skilled services.

They were looking for a dentist near me, and now they're part of our clinic family. Will you be next?
Call 303-429-2262 if you have any questions.