Your child is due for his or her first dental appointment. You’re trying to find an appropriate dentist. The only problem is that you don’t know how to find the right dentist.
Fortunately, we can help you with that. Without further ado, here’s how to choose the right Colleyville pediatric dentist for your child.
Find a Dentist Who’s Certified
First and foremost, you need to make sure that your prospective dentist has the appropriate certification. Any reputable pediatric dentist will be licensed with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. This board is sponsored by the American Dental Association and regulates the skills and actions of all official pediatric dentists.
To determine whether a dentist is, indeed, certified by this board, you just need to ask to see certification. If the dentist shows you this certification, you can rest assured that they are equipped to provide services to children.
If a pediatric dentist doesn’t have this certification, he or she should be avoided entirely. Why? A reputable source can’t verify his or her ability to serve children.
Find a Dentist With a State License
In order for a dentist to practice dentistry in the state of Texas, he or she must have a license with the state. If he or she doesn’t have a license, he or she is practicing illegally and should be avoided.
So, before you schedule an appointment with a dentist, make sure that he or she does, indeed, have a dental license in his or her possession. You can check on the validity of this license by utilizing the Texas license lookup tool.
Just type in the name of the dentist and see if a license shows up. If it does, that dentist will be good to go. If a license doesn’t show up, you should start looking for other dentists.
Choose a Dentist in Your General Area
The last thing you want to do is drive an hour to get to the dentist. The experience will go much more smoothly if the dentist is located within 15 to 20 minutes of your home. Your child will have less time to stress over it, and you’ll waste less of your time.
Simply type “pediatric dentist” into Google and see what pops up. There should be a long list of pediatric dentists in your area. Find the ones that are closest to you and compare their characteristics; you’re sure to find the best pediatric dentist in your area.
Make Sure Your Dentist Accepts Your Insurance
Do you have dental insurance? If so, you need to make sure that the dentist you choose is in your network. If he or she isn’t, you’ll need to cover every cent of the cost of the appointment.
Dental insurance won’t necessarily cover the entire cost, but it will cover a portion. And if your child needs more extensive work done (like fillings or root canals, for example), the costs can be reduced substantially.
When assessing insurance compatibility, make sure to check with both the dentist and your insurance company. You want to be 100% certain that you’re not paying any more than you actually have to.
Get a Feel for the Dentist’s Reputation
Generally speaking, good service in the past predicts good service in the future. As such, to determine the type of service that your child will get from a specific pediatric dentist, you need to assess that dentist’s reputation.
How do you go about doing this? It’s as simple as reading reviews on Facebook or Google or Yelp. These sites are loaded with reviews for various dentists throughout the world. Colleyville dentists are not exempt from this.
Just go to one of these websites, type in a specific dentist or dental practice, and read the reviews that are supplied. If those reviews are particularly positive, you can bet that the dentist will do a good job with your child. If they’re particularly negative, you’ll know that you should steer clear.
As a rule of thumb, it’s wise to choose a dentist with at least a 4-star rating out of 5. A dentist that maintains a rating of this caliber is bound to provide good service.
Speak With the Dentist
A good many people are squeamish about going to the dentist. When it comes to kids, this problem is typically amplified. As such, part of the job of the pediatric dentist is to ease the child’s mind and make him or her feel as comfortable as possible.
To ensure that your prospective dentist will do this, you might want to consider speaking with him or her directly. It will help you get a feel for his or her personality and demeanor and determine whether it’s right for your child.
Most pediatric dentists will be glad to speak with the parents of future patients. If a specific dentist doesn’t speak to you, you should probably consider looking elsewhere.
Ask the Dentist About Equipment
Dental technology improves by the day. Unfortunately, not all dentists are quite caught up with it. To ensure that your child’s dentist uses the best of the best equipment, you need to call and ask.
The better the dentist’s equipment, the more comfortable the experience will be for your child. And the more comfortable the experience is for your child, the easier time you’ll have of getting him or her back to the dentist in the future.
Searching for a Reputable Colleyville Pediatric Dentist?
If you’re reading this article, it’s likely because you’re searching for a reputable Colleyville pediatric dentist. If so, you’re in the right place. Colleyville Children’s Dentistry has you covered.
We offer a range of dental services, from standard checkups to teeth cleanings to fluoride treatments and much, much more. Contact us now to schedule your child’s first appointment!
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