If you’ve ever suffered through an appointment with a particularly heavy-handed dentist or gotten a cleaning from a dental hygienist who just couldn’t seem to avoid poking your gums, you know how important it is to find the right dentistry clinic. And if you’ve never had such an experience, believe us, it’s one you’d much rather avoid. As with deciding to become a patient with any medical professional, finding the right dentist is primarily a matter of personal preference: no one understands your own needs and comfort level better than you. Nonetheless, here are some helpful tips that you can use as a guideline when searching out a dentistry clinic.

Collecting Your Options

If you’ve moved into a new area and need a new dentist, don’t procrastinate—start culling your options as soon as possible. You don’t want to get a toothache only to find yourself facing a months-long wait for an appointment at the nearest clinic. In beginning your search, you should:

Gather Recommendations: Ask friends, family members, coworkers, neighbours, etc. if they can make any recommendations for you.

• Get a Referral: Unless you’ve moved to a new city or country, your old dentist will likely be able to refer you to a colleague.

• Check the Professional Listings: The Canadian Dental Association keeps a record of all the Dental Regulatory Authorities and Associations across the country. Most of these provincial groups have a dental clinic locator or similar tool that you can use to find CDA approved dentists near you.

But once you’ve collected your short list, you still need to make the commitment to a single clinic.

What to Consider when Choosing Your Dentist

Here is a short checklist you can use when deciding on your dentist:

Is the location near me or easy to get to with transit?

What is the average wait time for appointments?

Are their office hours convenient for me?

What is their policy for emergency treatment?

How do their payment rates compare to other clinics in the area?

If you are satisfied with the answers to these questions, then you’re probably ready to book your first check-up. Just make sure to brush before you go!

Sources: https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/talk/dentis... https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/reg_authorities/