Thursday, November 29, 2012

How to Find the Right Dentist

You've just moved to a new town or city, possibly because of a new job or a general life change. At some point, you will want to get your teeth cleaned or have that pesky tooth pain diagnosed. You'll have to find a dentist, but with so many out there willing to offer their services, how do you find the right one for you?

The easiest solution will likely come as a result of having insurance through a job. Many insurance providers will give you a list of dentists that accept their coverage. Most likely, you will find somebody on the list that is accepting new patients, will take your insurance and is geographically convenient to reach.

If you don't have insurance courtesy of a job, you can choose to find a dentist by purchasing a discount plan. Regardless of your location, there is a very good chance that there are plans that cover your area. The majority of the time, you can find an individual plan for under one hundred and fifty dollars or a family plan for under two hundred dollars a year. You will find that your plan will also offer different perks, such as a free cleaning each year or a discount on pricey services, such as root canals or fillings. The discount plan functions similar to insurance through a job in that you will be forced to choose from a list of providers in the area that will accept your plan.

If picking from a list of names through a plan does not appeal to you, there is the option of asking friends in the area from a recommendation. The power of a trusted person's word can often give you a better idea of who should work on your teeth than any website or list of names. It never hurts to give a recommended dentist's office a call to see if they're accepting new patients or out-of-pocket compensation.

Paying out of pocket can be pricey, but if you're bent on getting on getting that person who has been recommended to you, it might be worth the money for a basic cleaning. You'll find that the price for advanced work will be expensive, regardless if you have insurance or not. Always call ahead to get a quote if you plan on paying out of pocket.

If you find that money is an issue, you'll often find a dentist at a school who is willing to help. Patients often pay at a sliding scale format, and nobody is turned away for lack of insurance. The students are being trained to eventually run their own health centers, so the quality of care is not diminished, even though you're going to a university for health care.

You may feel that the oversaturation of options that insurance and the internet provides might be daunting when trying to pick a person to care for your teeth. Remember that there are plenty of options for finding the right provider, with many resulting in only a minimal dent in your wallet.