Selecting the Dentist that's Best for YOU

It's crucial that you feel comfortable with your dentist. After all, you can feel pretty vulnerable lying prostrate in an exam chair, bright lights glaring into your gaping mouth. You'll feel much better about the whole experience if you trust the person behind the mask, gloves and dental instruments.

It's well worth an investment in time to be thorough in your search for a dentist that suits your needs and your personality, because ideally, the relationship you develop with your dentist will be a long-term one. Also, when you actively seek out the dentist who best suits your needs, you are taking an active, as opposed to passive, role in your dental health care.

We've come up with some step-by-step guidelines that will help you make the best choice.

Communication - Comfort - Trust

Healthy, open communication and feelings of comfort and trust are vital to all relationships, but are particularly important when it comes to the people you entrust with your health care. Communication should flow freely in both directions; you shouldn't hesitate

to ask your dentist to explain something you don't understand, and your dentist shouldn't resent having to explain, or re-explain, any proposed treatment or procedure, in language that you understand. Any anxiety or fear on your part should also be discussed openly, as should your dentist's methods for ensuring your comfort while you are undergoing treatment. And you should feel good about your dentist's judgement, level of skill and expertise.

So how do you find a dentist that suits these requirements, and any others you might have?

• First, start by asking for referrals from relatives, friends and co-workers. A dental visit can be an intensely personal experience, so chances are a dentist will only earn a referral if he is skillful and personable.
• If you are moving to a different city, ask your current dentist if he can recommend a dentist in your new location.
• Call the local dental society or the state dental board, and ask for names of three or four dentists in your area.
• Ask for recommendations from your family physician or your local pharmacist.

Once you've got a few names to work with, it's time to do some leg work. Get on the phone and call their offices. Is the staff courteous and helpful? Do they answer questions to your satisfaction? If they pass these tests, ask the following questions:

• Is the dentist accepting new patients?
• How long do I have to wait to get in for my first exam?
• Does the dentist participate in my dental insurance plan? Does the dentist have specific training and/or experience related to my condition?