Isabelle Farmer is a practicing dentist at Houston SmileDocs in Texas. A graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Dental School, she went on to start her dental practice in 1984. In this article, she talks about how families should go about finding a new dentist.
When one of my patients tells me that he is moving away from my practice because he is going to another city, I generally recommend checking with friends, family members, or acquaintances who live in their new area for the best chances of finding a good dentist. In my experience, just running your finger down the Yellow Page advertisements may or may not lead you to finding a good dentist. But usually asking someone else who knows will give you a good idea of where to go. People like to tell you when they like their dentist, so usually that is a really good place to start.
Beyond that, I also talk to patients about choosing to see a dentist who wears magnifying glasses—also called “loops.” The reason I say this is because a dentist who is willing to look at his work under high levels of magnification obviously really cares about what he’s doing. Of course, we all want a dentist who is willing to look closely at their work, so I see that as always a good thing.
Another reason I look for that has to do with the education of the dentist. If you have a dentist who is wearing magnification, it is usually an indication that the dentist has done some extensive level of continuing education. And of course, a dentist who is up-to-date on procedures and techniques, one who has done continuing education, is a dentist we all want to have. The dentists I know who wear magnifying glasses have done a lot of continuing education, and that’s important for me. So those are some of the things that I think are important when looking for a dentist.
As far as any bad signs to look out for, that is really hard to say because I don’t visit a lot of other dentists’ practices on a regular basis. One thing I would recommend that patients watch out for, however, is if the staff doesn’t get along at the dental practice. If the front desk staff, or anyone else working at the practice, doesn’t get along, then that is just an atmosphere that you probably ought to avoid. The same goes for practices where the dentist himself or herself is mean to his staff. Once again, it is probably not a situation you would want to get involved in if you are looking for a new dentist. With that said, however, I still know plenty of patients who stay at practices like that. I personally do not understand why they do, but it’s a personal choice.
There is just no reason to put up with a rude staff if you don’t have to, which is why I would leave a practice where that was going. If I come across a physician who has a really bad staff member who is rude to patients, I always bring that behavior to the doctor’s attention. I do this because I think they need to know that that is the kind of stuff that makes patients uncomfortable and drives them away in the long run.
So in general, I would encourage patients to ask friends or family members for advice when looking for a new dentist, choosing someone who is active in continuing education, and staying away from any dentists who are rude to their staff. Those are just the kinds of things I would look for if I were a patient looking for a new dental practice.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
