Useful Tips to Find the Right Dentist
Truth be told, choosing the right berkeley dentist can be as daunting as finding a needle in a haystack. With hundreds, no scratch that, thousands of dentists in the industry, all with varying, yet to an unprofessional eye, similar specialization and with specific working hours, how does one narrow the search to pick the right dentist?
And as if that is not enough, and probably in a bid to confuse you all the more, you will find some of the dentist names end with initials such as DDS, DMD. What do these mean, and what is their difference, if any? Well, for all its worth, these are just initials standing for doctor of dental surgery and doctor of dental medicine respectively. In school, they studied the same thing and graduated with the same degree. The titles are there to ascertain that the dentist in question has ha the relevant training and is authorized to perform dental treatment.
Know what it is you need
Most often than not, general dentists often use phrases such as a family dentist or cosmetic dentist to let you know that they can offer services to the whole family as well as conduct cosmetic dental treatment. But while these are easy to understand, they are not official dental specializations. The recognized dental specialists include endodontists, pedodontists, prosthodontists, periodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons and orthodontists. They are all specialized in different practices.
When you experience symptoms such as jaw pain, bleeding gums, and severe toothaches, you might assume that you need a dental specialist by your side. Granted, you might be onto something there, but before you see a dental specialist, it is required that you go through a general dentists who will conduct an exam and determine the specific treatment and dental specialist that you will need to see.
Know what you should ask
When you are finding the best dentist, it helps to have the right questions to ask pertaining to the training of the dentist, the location of their office, office hours, emergency care patient comfort, fees as well as payment plans.
All these should be in your favor and just what you are looking for. For instance, the dentist should be trained and have experience in the procedure that you are looking to have, the location of the office should be convenient for you. It shouldn’t be too long in the event you have an emergency in your hands. Speaking of which, the dentist you choose should provide emergency care. Last but not least, you should know if the dentist accepts dental insurance and if they do how much of the cost you will have to foot from your pocket.
With the above tips, you should be well on your way to working with the best Berkeley dentist there is. Take time to do your homework and in the end, you will be glad you did.