What Should I Look for in a Dentist? So what are the green flags when looking for a dentist in your area? Highly Recommended Dentists When you are looking for a new dentist, one of the most impactful aspects is getting a personal recommendation. If a family member, friend, or colleague provides you information from the position of an existing patient, it helps to give you an idea of what the dental practice is like. Another good source of information when looking for recommendations is online reviews. By using a source like Google to see what patients have rated the dental practice, it provides a firsthand narrative and can be a reassurance of practice quality.
Hygiene Standards Within a practice one of the most important aspects of dentistry is to have a clean and extremely hygienic environment. If a dental practice is not clean, it can lead to complications in treatment such as dangerous infections and diseases if the equipment is not cleaned efficiently.
Opening Times When finding a dentist, one aspect you need to consider is when you will be available for treatment, and whether that fits with the dental practice’s opening times. For example, some dentists are open during later hours in the evening and on weekends, while others are open during traditional working hours. If you work a 9 to 5 job this can be difficult to work around and find an appointment time suitable for you, so finding a practice open in the evenings would be a good solution for your schedule.
Practice Accreditation One great resource to check if your practice is registered and able to practice in the UK is to search for their registration within the General Dental Council. You can search a specific Register by entering either a name, town or postcode. Alternatively, you can search all Registers for an individual by entering their GDC registration number. Our GDC Registration for Aviva Dentistry can be viewed here Read more
Dental Practice Red Flags Using Old Technology Using out-of-date technology in a dental practice can be more harmful than you’d think in the modern world. For example, if a dentist does not utilise the best security on an outdated computer system it can lead to patient information not being very secure. Not to mention that using newer dental practices provides safer and more efficient treatments.
Unsuitable Sanitary Conditions As mentioned previously, sanitary conditions are one of the most important aspects to consider within a dental practice. To ensure your health and the health of your teeth, any unhygienic dentists are to be avoided at all costs. Recommending Extensive Work One big warning sign is when you sit in a dentist’s chair for the first time and are told you need procedures you have never needed before. While this can be correct and not reflect on the dentist’s skill, it is worth getting a second opinion from another dentist to ensure that you truly need the treatment.
