Having moved to Ocala, FL recently, my family and I were thrilled to be near Daytona Beach and the Ocala National Park. Our excitement turned into a bit of nightmare when one of my children started getting cavities in his teeth. I scrambled to find the nearest dentist to help ensure that the cavities were taken care of and didn’t spread any further.
However, to no avail, I went through three different dentistry all of which were either inexperienced or just unprofessional. I had no idea finding a dentist in Ocala would be this difficult. Luckily, I eventually came across VIP care Dental which has since been our family dental care provider.
To save others from this ordeal, I’ve made a guide that will help you research local dental care providers. The following questions will ensure you opt for the right provider for your family and avoid going through the same experience as me.
Which specific areas do you specialize in?
You will find that a lot of dentists specialize is specific treatments and may not be able to offer others. Two of the three dentistry I went to were not capable of putting dental implants. It made no sense to me to go to separate dentists for different treatments so I dropped those two altogether.
You want to pick a dentistry that can offer you the works from orthodontic, cosmetics, to other dental treatments. This will make it much easier for you and the family to build a relationship with the practice.
How will you determine the number of visits I would need?
When it comes to oral care, everyone is different. Some take better care of their oral hygiene while others don’t. Dentists should have a custom plan for each individual based on their oral needs. So if a dentist tells you to visit a certain amount of time without even examining you, this should sound an alarm.
It is essential that a thorough examination of the mouth is taken before they tell you how often you need to visit. So it is important that you ask them how they come up with this and what is their process in determining the number of visits. Just so you have an ease of mind and can tell that you are in the care of capable hands.
How experienced are the dental professionals and do they have any referrals?
No matter what type of healthcare solution you opt for, you want to make sure you go to an experienced practitioner. Especially when it comes to procedures and more serious treatments.
It is important to know exactly how much experience the dentist has, this allows you to develop trust in them. The first dentistry I went to in Ocala was new and while the dentist was professional, he was a bit timid while treating my son.
Probably because he didn’t have much experience treating children. The pain from the cavity also did not subside after the treatment which prompted me to look for another dentist.
Experienced dentists will have quite a few positive referrals. Your search for the right dentist can be made easier if you search for these referrals. Thanks to the Internet, you can search for referrals online.
All established dental care providers will have some form of testimonials online. If you can’t find any, I recommend you move on from the dentist and look for another.
Are payment plans an option?
Let’s be honest, dental care and treatments can be costly. The biggest issue is insurance plans don’t always cover them. This can make paying for treatments a bit tough on people. You will find that experienced and successful practices have an option for payment plans.
Some may even provide interest-free plans which make it easier to pay the amount off. Payment plans take the burden off of having to pay all at once, making costly treatments a reality for most.
The above questions should be paired with the following basic questions in your quest for the right dental practice.
- What are the office timings?
- Do they have all the machinery such as x-ray?
- Do they provide free consultation?
These 7 questions will help you develop an understanding and know beforehand of what type of service you should expect. If you go to a professional dental practice they will be more than happy to entertain these questions and answer them for you.
