Kate's Fear of TMJ

3 Essential Questions To Ask When Looking For A Dentist

Have you recently realized that your teeth could stand to be in better shape? Are you wanting to get them taken care of but you're not quite sure where to begin? Obviously, in order to have your teeth worked on, you're going to need to find a dentist. However, if you've never had to take care of this sort of thing in the past then the whole process can seem confusing. Now that you have the means to have your teeth cared for by a professional, it's time to find the right dentist for your needs. Some things that you should be asking any potential dentist are:

What insurance plan(s) do you accept? Unlike with doctors, it's not completely uncommon to find a dentist who only accepts a few types of dental insurance or who doesn't accept insurance at all. While this is less common in general dentistry practices, it is still something that you need to be aware of. The less common your insurance plan is for the area the more likely it is that a given dentist won't accept it. This is part of why you need to be especially careful shopping for dental plans online; a given plan might sound like a really good deal until you can't find any dentist who will accept it.

Do you have payment plans available? Although uncommon, you can still find a few general dentistry practices that will allow you to pay off your bill over the course of a few weeks or months instead of expecting full payment upfront. When you can't find any dentist that will take your insurance or you simply don't have any valid dental insurance at the moment, this can be a great option. Dentists that offer payment plans won't always advertise this fact to the public which is why you have to ask about it beforehand.

What procedures do you do? Some dental offices do only general dentistry, some specialize in something like orthodontics, and others are mixed practices. If you simply need basic work done right now, there's nothing wrong with picking a dentist that doesn't specialize in anything. On the other hand, if you know that you'll need to have your teeth straightened or that you may need artificial teeth, it may make more sense to choose an office that is able to handle as much as possible without you having to leave and find yet another dentist elsewhere.


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