How do you find a nice dentist?

[JoJo]

I'm almost ready to book an appointment and I've found a dentist that looks nice from their website, says they care about nervous patients etc but how can I really know what they are like? Are dentists ever willing to have a no obligation chat to a prospective patient first? Or would I have to have a full appointment to suss them out?

What I'm asking really is how did you find your dentist? I don't want to ask around for a recommendation as I don't want to talk to others about my fear.

Thanks

JoJo
x

 

[Zoritsa]

I called around....for my kids.Yes,I used them as guinea pigs to feel out the places.Even the dentist commented and chuckled about that.I did it that way though to see how he reacted to different ages and happened to overhear the different ways they use to calm their fearful patients.Of course,doing it that way has delayed any work on my teeth(not that that would have mattered to me,heck I've waited 17 or so years),because my kids only needed cleanings and since those are only every 6 months,we've only been to a few places.

 

[Snowball]

I found mine as she is local and the practice's website mentioned she specialised in nervous or phobic patients. It was also on here, in the recommendations.

No way will such a dentist 'do' anything much the first time you go - it's mainly a look (which may involve an x ray if you're feeling brave! But not if you're not!) and a long chat, possibly an assessment for IV sedation if required (essentially a questionnaire).

It's a good opportunity to get everything into the open and discussed.

I dunno about NHS but if you go private they want your custom so they're NOT going to scare you off.

ETA: I thought of extra things I wanted to ask after the appointment so emailed my dentist. She replied promptly and reassuringly. That was a HUGE step forward for me, in terms of knowing this was someone I could trust.

Also, if I hadn't felt I liked and could trust her - I wouldn't have hesitated to keep on looking for another one. It's important that you hold on to that idea that YOU are the 'client' and you are in charge.

 

[formygirls]

i'm in the us, so i don't know how different things are over here

i found my new dentist through the web, specifically looking for sedation and fearful patients. when i booked my first appointment, it was a complimentary consultation. the receptionist tried to book me for a cleaning and i whimpered a little bit and said "no, thank you" he understood right away and apologized for making me uncomfortable. the dentist ended up doing x-rays and a short exam (with my permission) to see what needed to be done at the first appointment, but started just talking and listening to my fears, etc.

i would expect that any practice that claims to cater towards feaful patients would offer some sort of initial consult.

good luck and let us know how it goes when you get in there!

ally

 

[brit]

I'm almost ready to book an appointment and I've found a dentist that looks nice from their website, says they care about nervous patients etc but how can I really know what they are like? Are dentists ever willing to have a no obligation chat to a prospective patient first? Or would I have to have a full appointment to suss them out?

What I'm asking really is how did you find your dentist? I don't want to ask around for a recommendation as I don't want to talk to others about my fear.

Thanks

JoJo
x

In my experience in UK private sector, some will see you for a free initial chat first, some like their time to be paid for at least.
Most will be happy for you to call in and see the premises and maybe briefly say hello to the dentist for no charge, to see if you'd like to book a paid for 'chat only' consultation.
Many will happily chat to you by e-mail or telephone for no charge in order to break the ice prior to you deciding you feel able to come in for a paid for 'chat' consultation.
At the end of the day, the level of personal service and amount of TLC a phobic person receives from a dentist is entirely a function of that dentist's empathy level and desire to help and make you feel comfortable, so 'finding the right dentist' is the key thing, not whether or not you pay for the first appointment...arguably if you pay, you have more control.
Possibly someone offering you a free evaluation/consultation is more likely to feel a need to find essential/cosmetic dental work which needs doing and therefore could be trawling for work to some extent. There is a reason that cosmetic dentists are often the ones offering the free consults...they recoup the cost of the consultation process in the fees charged later, meaning there's no such thing as a free lunch....
Usually if a dentist on their website goes out of their way to express an interest in helping nervous patients, it will be a good sign, since many make no mention of this whatsoever. The next question to ask is 'how do they help?'...just sedation may not be what you want...you may just want time and TLC to properly get over fear and build a relationship.
PM me a link to the website, if you would like my two cents worth on it...
...personal recommendation is the best way especially if you get a recommendation from someone with similar fears/concerns. Also the more types of treatment someone has had the better, someone just having regular checkups is not going to be much of a guarantee although if the dentist comes over as friendly and chatty just from those experiences, it would be a good sign.

 

[Phxcrybaby]

I found my dentist through "word of mouth" (no pun intended) but I have 2 co-workers who are as dental phobic as I am and they recommended this dentist to me. It was a great choice and match......I went to see him 6 weeks ago and he knew my anxiety/fear level, promised me no pain and delivered just that. I trust him and like him. Ask your colleagues and friends because they are sure to recommend someone they've had good experience with.

Trish

 

[sudzs]

Have to say I would go with "word of mouth", ie. personal recommendation.

I chose one dentist because they had a lovely website and did sedation which is what I wanted at the time, being an absolutely terrified and reluctant patient! Unfortunately that didn't work out and I had to hae some work redone with a different dentist who I chose from an online recommendation. I must be plagued with bad luck because that didn't work out either!

Now I'm off to see dentist no. 3 next week. Chose him through personal recommendation so hoping it will be a case of third time lucky for me!!!

 

[Miss Sparkle]

Hi ya,

I have now found a wonderful dentist who removed 3 of my teeth including one impacted wisdom last Friday.

That again was through "word of mouth" my friend recommended him. I think if you can speak to friends and family and they have enough confidence in their dentist to recommend them to you then you are on to a winner as a friend or family member would feel slightly responsible and only recommend someone if they were sure that that particular dentist is right for you.

In my case my friend was spot on and I have her to thank for me being able to go through with treatment because the dentist has a great way of handling me and my panic attacks e.t.c.

Good luck.

 

[RP]

I'm losing trust in my current dentist more and more as time goes by, so yesterday morning I started researching again for a sedation dentist and emailed another dentist to get a second opinion. They responded right away and said they'd like the opportunity to propose a treatment plan too and offered a free consultation so I was mulling it over. It takes a lot of courage to make that call and walk into another dentist's office and I wasn't sure I could do it.

Coincidentally, in the afternoon I had a physical scheduled with my primary care doctor. I told her about my recent dental work to which she responded " I hate going to the dentist, I actually start shaking the day before my appointment and can't sleep" So that made me feel alot better and less embarassed about my fear, here is a medical doctor who is dental phobic. She told me she's in the process of getting an implant and just had a root canal done for an absess and the entire process was painless. She even went to do hospital rounds right after her dental work(she doesn't use sedation) . I asked who her dentist was and it is the same guy I emailed earlier in the day. I now have an appointment scheduled next month to meet him. If my doctor trusts him and she's as afraid as I am, I think I owe it to myself to at least talk to him.