How to Choose the Right Dentist: 5 Questions to Ask Before Your First Appointment
08.01.2025
Finding the right dentist can be incredible for your oral health. As much as you might care for your teeth at home, there are some things that need to be checked and monitored by a dentist. This is why dentists recommend regular checkups, usually every 6-12 months.
Registering with a dentist is one of the best ways to ensure that you receive consistent and reliable dental care. If you aren’t registered, you will have to find an emergency dentist if anything goes wrong, and this can be very stressful.
Working with the same dentist for every visit will also help to ensure excellent continuity of care. Your dentist will get to know you, your preferences, and your concerns. This will enable them to provide better support that adapts to your changing needs.
Before committing to a dentist, it’s a good idea to ask questions to make sure that the practice can provide the kind of support you are looking for. These are the 5 questions we recommend all patients ask before booking their first appointment.
What treatments do you offer?
There is a difference between treatments that a dentist can refer you for, and treatments they actually offer. Look for a dentist that is able to provide a wide range of treatment options under one roof. This will limit the chances that you have to travel for treatment, which can make trips to the dentist more complicated. This is particularly important for elderly patients, as you might be limited in transport options.
You should also think about the type of treatments you might be looking for. For example, you might not be concerned about your dentist not offering dental implants if you still have all of your teeth. However, if you’re thinking about adult braces, offering Invisalign might be more important to you.
Do you offer payment plans?
The switch from NHS to private dentistry can be difficult to navigate. Looking for a dental practice that offers payment plans can help you to navigate this move. It’s important to remember that the range of treatments available to you will increase. There will be far more cosmetic options available, rather than just focusing on preventative and restorative care.
With this in mind, you might have goals and aesthetic aspirations that you would like to explore. This could include simple treatments like teeth whitening, or more extensive treatments such as orthodontics. Whatever your goals, you’ll find it much easier to get there if you can spread the cost of treatment.
Do you offer a free consultation?
You might not know if a dentist is a good fit for you until you’ve had a chance to speak to them. Every dentist is different, and some patients will have special requirements to consider. For example, if you are a nervous patient, you’ll want to be sure that your dentist is able to calm your nerves. And if you are starting a family, you’ll want to be confident that your dentist is great with kids so the whole family can go to the same practice.
A free consultation is a great way to find out if the dentist is a good fit for you. You’ll have a chance to ask questions and learn more about their approach to dental care. You might assume that all dentists are the same, but there are subtle differences in their approach that could make it easier to connect with one over another.
Do you offer evening and weekend appointments?
One of the perks of the move away from NHS dentistry and towards private dentistry is that you’ll enjoy a lot more choice. You can choose more treatment types, you can choose to spread the cost of payment, and you can choose from more appointment spots.
Many private dentists will offer evening and weekend appointments that will fit in perfectly with your daily routine, particularly if you are working full-time. Not all dentists will offer this, and some will only reserve these premium spots for registered patients. It’s worth checking before you sign up to find out if you’ll have access to more flexible appointment times.
What emergency provisions do you offer?
Knowing that your dentist will have your back in an emergency is essential, as this could be the difference between being stuck in pain for a whole weekend versus being seen by a dentist on the same day.
Ask about emergency situations and what they can offer. Do they offer same-day or weekend appointments? Do they have an out-of-hours number to call? Are they partnered with an emergency dentist to provide last-minute care?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can move forward with confidence knowing that your chosen dentist will be able to meet your requirements.