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© Finding a new dentist
1. Compile a list of candidates.
First, call your local chapter of the
American Dental Association or go to
ada.org to find ADA members near
by. Search online to see if the prac
tices have websites, which may pro
vide a lot of basic information. If you
have young kids, Susan Kim, DDS,
of Evergreen Pediatric Dentistry in
Kirkland, Wash., suggests looking for
a pediatric dentist. The American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry rec
ommends that children see a pediat
ric dentist when the first tooth ap
pears, and Kim says young children
should get regular checkups until the
permanent teeth are in.
2. Talk to current patients. Call
the dental office and request a pa
tient referral. It might take a couple
days to arrange, but a good practice
will be happy to find someone willing
to talk. “If they don’t, it’s a red flag,”
Kim says. Ask the reference about
his or her experiences with the staff.
3. Stop by the office. Kimberly
Harms, DDS, consumer spokesperson
for the ADA and a dentist in Farm
ington, Minn., suggests dropping by
a practice to meet the dentists and
hygienists and see the office. You
should be able to get a tour any time,
but you might have to make an ap
28
USA WEEKEND • March 14-16,2008
pointment to talk to a dentist. During
your visit, note how 7 busy the office is,
Kim says. “Ask how much time the
practice allocates for each appoint
ment,” she says. Some spend 20 min
utes for a routine visit and cleaning,
and others spend about an hour.
4. Get on the same page. Parents
need to be sure that the dentist’s phi
losophy for dealing with scared chil
dren matches their own, Kim says.
Some dentists still use a papoose board
to restrain a child, while others give
oral or intravenous sedation. Be com
fortable with what they do, or find
someone else. Also, ask if they spe
cialize in the dental services you need,
Harms says. Not all offer dentures
or cosmetic procedures, for instance.
5. Evaluate the communication.
As a new patient, if you feel you are
getting a hard sell for a procedure,
tell the dentist, hygienist or a front
office staff member. “Give them a sec
ond chance, but if you can’t be com
fortable talking to your dentist about
options, risks, benefits and alterna
tives to treatment, then find another
dentist,” Harms says. Similarly, den
tists should be open to providing you
with written price estimates for any
work they suggest. CZ2
Lisa Jaffe Hubbell
SCOTT STULBf RG. CORBIS