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10 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a New Dentist

10 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a New Dentist

Whether you’ve recently moved or just want a change, choosing a new dentist can be intimidating. With so many options out there it can be difficult to know where to start. Recommendations from friends and family can help to narrow down the choice, as well as location and convenience of a practice to you. Once you have a shortlist of potential dentists in mind, calling or visiting each practice is the next worthwhile step. Along with your own personal considerations, here are ten questions to ask potential dentists.

  1. How long have you been practicing and where?

Experience is often a great indicator of skill, but do not immediately rule out newly qualified dentists on this basis alone. A dentist who has practiced at the same location for a long time suggests they have a satisfied client base and a good reputation. Learning more about a dentist’s education and credentials can help build a clearer image of the type of care you will receive.

  1. Are you accepting new patients?

Potentially the most important question of all, the dentist must be accepting new clients for you to become a patient. Not all dentists continuously take on new patients, preferring to work with a certain number of people at one time.

  1. Do you accept my dental plan?

A major consideration for a lot of people is whether a practice accepts their dental plan. If your financial means are a concern, it may also be worth asking the dentist at this stage whether there are any payment plans available.

  1. Do you treat children?

If you have a young family, making sure the dentist accepts younger patients is important even if your children do not need dental care at the current time. Many family or pediatric dentists use special techniques and equipment to make visits more fun and less intimidating for children.

  1. What kind of service is available if I have an out-of-hours dental emergency?

The procedure for out-of-hours emergencies vary between dentists. Some practices offer extended clinic hours or on-call services, potentially with an extra charge. A common option for dentists is to make arrangements with a colleague or emergency referral service.

  1. What kind of techniques do you use to help relax patients?

Experiencing anxiety and apprehension before dental procedures is common. There are various types of an aesthesia dentists can use to assist patients in feeling more comfortable during dental treatment in addition to entertainment such as music and television. Some dentists pride themselves on their practice’s calming atmosphere.

  1. Do you have any testimonials I could look at?

Even with all of the reviews available online, it is still worth asking a dentist for testimonials from previous patients. They are likely to have some before and after photo comparisons, which help to create a visual image of the dentist’s skills and expertise. If there are no testimonials available to review, it may be a concern.

  1. Are you qualified in any dental specialties?

Aside from check-ups and other general dentistry tasks, you may require more complex procedures in future. It is helpful to learn the range and expertise of your dentist before this happens. Although most dentists have a wide array of knowledge, be wary if a practitioner claims to be a specialist in all dental areas.

  1. Do you take advantage of new dental technologies?

Advances in technology can significantly improve a patient’s experience and treatment at the dentist. As in other areas of science, dental technology is constantly advancing; some dentists embrace new concepts and equipment more than others.

  1. How do you keep up with new methods and technology in dentistry?

Like many other health professionals, registered dentists are compelled to continue their education throughout their career. Your dentist should be striving to keep up with treatment development, through continuing education courses and conferences.

 

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Tips On Searching A Dentist On Internet – Part 2

Tips On Searching A Dentist On Internet – Part 2

In the previous article, we discussed about how some people can manipulate internet for their own benefit and rank their website on the first page of search engine suing search engine experts. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be aware of this fact that all the websites, which you get as results on the first page of a search engine may not be quality ones and so, you need to be smart enough to analyze all the sites before you make your final decision. After all, you are about to risk you teeth and therefore, you need to be extra careful with your selection of a dentist, more so, when you are searching him on the internet.
An important point that you need to remember when you search a dentist on internet is the use of the search terms (known as keywords). The more specific you are with your keywords, the better results you are going to attain. For example, if you just try to search for a keyword ‘dentist’ then due to the generic nature of the keyword, you will get millions of results of dentists from all over the world. Now if you live in ‘A’, then you are obviously looking for a dentist in or around that area and therefore, a dentist from location ‘B’ or ‘C’ is not going to be of any help for you. Therefore, you should include relevant keywords in your search to make your search more specific. Searching for something like ‘dentist in A’ would send a signal to the search engine ,that you are only interested in getting results from a specific area and In this way, you will get refined results from the search.
Another tip – In order to make your search more specific, you should also add as many relevant keywords as possible to it. For example, if you are looking for a cosmetic dentist in ‘A’, then you should use all these keywords so that you only get results of dentists, who are, first of all, cosmetic dentists and secondly, they are located in or around place ‘A’. In this way, by using the right keywords, you can get suitable results quickly.
Most of the dental sites mention the price of the treatment along with their terms of payment. You can have a look at different sites and compare their pricing and payment policy. This will help you in getting an idea about the present market rates and this information will also help you to finalize a dentist for yourself.

Tips On Searching A Dentist On Internet – Part 1

Tips On Searching A Dentist On Internet – Part 1

There could be a time in your life when you need a dental job and you are not sure where to go? It could be your first dental job and therefore, you are not aware of the options available with you. In such a situation, a quick search on internet would be helpful for you. However, you need to use internet properly in order to get the best results. In this article, we will discuss about how should one search for a dentist on internet.
First of all, you should be aware that like the other things of this world, internet too has become very competitive and therefore, there are many people, who are always trying to catch their clients and sell their services using internet. These people hire search engine experts, who help them in ranking their website on the first page of search engine (for relevant keywords). So, when a person searches for a certain keyword or keyword phrase, he sees their website on the first page and if he visits that site, then they have got a potential client through internet.
Let us try to understand this with help of an example. If you live at Location ‘A’, then you are most likely to search for keywords like ‘dentist in A’ on search engine like Google. Now it might be possible that when you search for such keywords, some of the results that you get are of sites that have hired an expert, who has helped them in ranking their site on the first page of search engine for keyword phrase ‘dentist in A’.
You might believe that because the site is showing on the first page of search engine, it should be a good one, but that may or may not be true; it might well be possible that it belongs to a new and/or inexperienced dentist, who has spend lots of money in order to rank his site on search engine. Therefore, you need to be careful here and do not take things for granted. Do investigate properly before you fix an appointment with the dentist; giving a call to the dentist and talking him directly would be one of the better ways to proceed ahead in such a case. It will help you to understand the dentist better and if you are satisfied by the conversation, then you can go ahead and fix an appointment with him.

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Dental Sealant Protect Tooth Decay

Dental Sealant Protect Tooth Decay

A dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth — usually the premolars and molars — to prevent tooth decay. The sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth.

In spite of the fact that by complete brushing and flossing can remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, they cannot always get into all the nooks and crannies of the molars to remove the food and plaque. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas from tooth decay by “sealing out” plaque and food.

Children and teenagers are good candidates for sealants because of the likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of the premolars and molars. However, adults without decay or fillings in their molars can also benefit from sealants.

Typically, children should get sealants on their permanent molars and premolars as soon as these teeth come in. In this way, the sealants can protect the teeth through the cavity-prone years of ages 6 to 14. In some cases, dental sealants may also be appropriate for baby teeth, such as when a child’s baby teeth have deep depressions and grooves. Baby teeth play such an important role in holding the correct spacing for permanent teeth, so it’s important to keep these teeth healthy so they are not lost too early.
Sealant Application Steps:

Applying sealant is a simple and painless process. It takes only a few minutes for your dentist or hygienist to apply the sealant to seal each tooth. The application steps are as follows:

1. First the teeth that are to be sealed are thoroughly cleaned.

2. Each tooth is then dried, and cotton or another absorbent material is put around the tooth to keep it dry.

3. An acid solution is put on the chewing surfaces of the teeth to roughen them up, which helps the sealant bond to the teeth.

4. The teeth are then rinsed and dried.

5. Sealant is then painted onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes a special curing light is used to help the sealant harden.

Life-Span of Dental Sealants

Typically, sealants last five to 10 years, but they should be checked at every dental appointment to make sure they’re still in place and check for chipping or wear. Having sealants doesn’t mean kids get a pass on brushing and flossing their teeth, but they may get fewer cavities and, therefore, need fewer fillings.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Sealants?

Many insurance companies cover the cost of sealants. Check with your dental insurance carrier to determine if sealants are covered under your plan.

For more information on teeth whitening please visit Professional Dental Care at Clear Dental Richmond

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How Stress Influences Your Oral Health ?

How Stress Influences Your Oral Health ?

The potential fallout from stress and anxiety that can have an effect on your oral health includes :
– Mouth sores, including canker sores and cold sores
– A clenching of teeth and teeth grinding (bruxism)
– Poor oral hygiene and unhealthy eating routines
– Periodontal (gum)illness or deterioration of existing periodontal illness

So how can you prevent these oral health problems?

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Dental Implants will Match Your Natural Teeth

Dental Implants will Match Your Natural Teeth

Notwithstanding improvements in tooth care, millions of Northern Americans suffer tooth loss — all things considered due to tooth decay, gingivitis (gum illness), or injury. For many years, the sole treatment alternates available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. However, today, dental implants are available.

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots; implants supply a strong basic for fixed (permanent), or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.

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Cosmetic Dentistry Improve the Looks of Your Teeth and Smile

Cosmetic Dentistry Improve the Looks of Your Teeth and Smile

Cosmetic dentistry is the improvement or enhancement of one’s physical appearance of the face by changing the shape, color, size and alignment of the teeth. There are a significant a certain number of ways to improve the looks of your teeth and smile :

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Tooth Decay

Tooth Decay

One or two hours after brushing, bacteria and food particles start forming plaque on the surface of your teeth. These bacteria produce an acid that erodes the calcium in the tooth’s enamel and leads to the formation of minute cavities. If not treated, the acid will ultimately penetrate through the teeth enamel and cause quicker and devastating rot of the dentine layer.

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