How to Choose the Right Dentist for Your Family

Dental care is crucial for your health. Taking care of oral health isn’t just about having a pretty smile. It’s about making sure you have good general health and overall well-being. It starts with finding the right dentist for your family.

General Dentist vs. Pediatric Dentist

Before looking for a dentist for your family, you might want to know the difference between general dentists and pediatric dentists. General dentists are trained dentists who care for the dental health of all patients, no matter their age. Pediatric dentists, on the other hand, are trained specially to help children care for their oral health.

Consider Your Needs

Start your search by thinking about your needs. First, you want a dentist to accept your insurance plan. If you plan to pay out of pocket, you want to know the rates. If you have special health conditions or dental anxiety, you’ll want a dentist who has experience with both. The schedule and location of the clinic are also factors you should consider.

Ask for Recommendations

Once you’ve identified your needs, you can look for dentists. It would help to begin looking with your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Ask if they can recommend someone. If not, you can contact your local or state dental society. If these two don’t pan out, you can search the American Dental Association (ADA) directory.

Explore Your Options

Make a list of the dentists who have been recommended to you. The next thing you’ll do is explore your options by finding as much information as possible about the candidates. You may call their offices and ask questions about their services, how payment is handled, if they’re a member of ADA, what their office hours are, etc. Compare the information you find with your needs to determine which suits you.

Schedule Your First Appointment

Before deciding who will be your family’s main dentist, it’s a great idea to schedule a first appointment. This will help you confirm if what you have found during your research is true. Also, there is no better way to tell if you will like the dentist than by trying out their service.
When you do, pay close attention to how the dentist explains things and if the staff is professional and considerate. You also want to note if they’re upfront regarding the information on fees and whether the office is clean and organized. All these things can tell you if the dentist and the clinic suit your family.

Make a Decision

You may have to see multiple dentists before finding the one you seek. Given how vital your family’s oral health and yours is, you want to find a dentist who can be a reliable partner. As such, look for a team you can feel comfortable with and trust that will keep your and your family’s teeth healthy for a long time.

See if Cal Oaks Dental fits you. Schedule an appointment by calling (951) 501-4900, or you can directly visit our clinic in Murrieta, California.