Advice on Finding a Good Dentist: What to Look For

Whether you’ve recently moved to a different town or your previous dentist retired, you’re probably searching for a new dentist. If you’re on Long Island, we hope you’ll choose our practice for your dental needs, but regardless, if you’re looking for advice on finding a good dentist, here are our best tips.

Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most common ways patients find their dentists. Ask your family, friends, and coworkers for recommendations. You can trust them to be honest and most people are eager to share the name of a dental practice they love.

Google, Yelp, and Angie’s List are all terrific sources for patient reviews. In fact, sometimes they’re so terrific, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of reviews you find!

Here’s how to narrow it down: when you’re reading reviews for a specific dentist, search for important keywords. Are you looking for a dentist who does teeth whitening? Search that term to see what patients had to say about their experience and results.

Don't forget to pay it forward after you've had your first visit with your new dentist—write an online review to help others who are searching.

Use the Find-A-Dentist tool on the ADA website, which allows you to search for member dentists by name, location, and specialty. Simply type in your location and the distance you'd be willing to travel. Your search can be further refined by Gender, Payment Options, Languages Spoken, and Saturday hours.

You’ll get a list of dentists who meet your criteria. Click on their profiles to view their contact information, office hours, accepted dental insurance, and biographical information.

Your dental insurance provider should have a database available to help you search for a dentist online. Alternatively, you can also call your dental insurance company and ask them for recommendations.

Of course, a dentist may have great reviews and recommendations, but ultimately, they need to fit your individual needs. Think about these factors:

• • Office Hours – Is the practice open when you need them to be? With busy work schedules and family obligations, you may want to find a practice with evening and weekend hours. Our practice is open late on some weeknights and has Saturday hours as well.

• • Comfort – If you have dental anxiety, make sure the dentist you choose has options for sedation.

• • Location – Many patients look for a dental practice near their homes, but if you’re going to be making an appointment in the middle of a work day, you might want to find one that’s near your workplace.

• • Financial Concerns – Confirm that the dentist you’re considering accepts your dental insurance. If you need financing, call them and ask if that’s an option before booking an appointment.

• • Office Setting – Is the office clean and comfortable? Does it have modern equipment?

• Services – Finally, check to see that all the services you need are offered. Not every dentist provides every dental service.

If you've gone through the steps above and decided to choose our practice, we look forward to meeting you! Contact us today at 516-798-0223 to schedule an appointment.