It is no secret that Americans care about how their teeth look. About 99.7% say that having a good looking smile is important to a successful social life. Approximately $1.4 billion is spent every year in the United States on tooth whitening products yet the typical person will go three years between dental visits. If you need to have your teeth cleaned or looked at you may need a dentist, there are some ways to make that process easier.
Tips for Finding a New Dentist:
- Ask everyone you know. As your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. You absolutely know people who go to the dentist. If you need a dentist, you should start with your network. The best case scenario would be for you to get the same recommendation from more than one person without them knowing it. If, for example, a coworker recommends one dentist and then another person hears you need a dentist and they recommend the same general dental care specialist, that is kismet. You should probably go that person. If you are new to an area, this is the best way but if even if you have just put off going, getting personal recommendations is always the best way to find decent goods and services.
- Check online. Facebook can be a great resource for finding a lot of local services. Often, there are Facebook groups and pages that are devoted to promoting local goods, services and other businesses. If no one has posted about how awesome (or awful) a dentist they saw was, post the question. People will respond with their opinions. You can also check sites like Angie’s List and Yelp! to find dentists in your area.
- Talk to your dental insurance carrier. If you have dental insurance, call your carrier. Dental care is important but it is also not cheap and this may limit your choices and narrow down your options. They may also have more information about the different dentists in your area. If you need a dentist who takes care of pediatric patients or also handles cosmetic dentistry, for instance, your dental insurance carrier can help you with those things as well. They may be able to find a dentist who is in their network and is close to where you live or work.
- Ask your primary care physician. Do you have a primary care doctor? They may also be a good resource when you need a dentist. Many know dentists in the area. Maybe they go to a great dentist that they like to recommend to their patients or maybe their staff or the patients they see have given them recommendations about dentists that are good. If you need a dentist, this is another good place to ask about that. You should make your doctor aware of any major dental work you have done. Some people need to take antibiotics before they have any serious dental procedures performed. Your mouth is not that far from your brain and it is easy for an infection in a tooth to spread throughout your body. Your dental and physical health are very much dependent on each other so talking to your doctor about your dental health, if you have issues, is always a good idea.
If you are afraid of dentists and that is the reason you have neglected going, you should make it a point to tell the staff at the dental office and the dentist about your phobia. You are, by no means, alone in this regard. Many people, all over the planet, are terrified of going to the dentist. There are a lot of reasons for this, many of which may just stem from hearing about so many people being scared of the dentist.
Whether or not you had a bad experience of your own or if you just heard so many scary things from other people that you developed your own fear of dentists, talking to them about it may help. All dentists know that people are often afraid and as a consequence they have ways to make you feel more at ease.
Going to the dentist every six months is important for your dental and overall health so go!
