When moving cities or thinking about changing your dentist, ask around. Talk to people around you. A great resource is other parents who are in your predicament. Ask your new colleagues or employees in the city you are moving to. Here are the tips that should guide you to a great dentist:
Your current dentist already knows your dental and financial needs. He has your history and complications that you might be exposed to. Your dentist , if he/she is worth of note, should have great contacts in the industry. Ask him to refer you to another dentist he or she knows in the region you are moving to. If you do get one, you will be at a great advantage because your new and previous dentists already know each other so consultation and history shouldn’t be awkward.
Search on the American Dental Association website for a list of its members in the area you are relocating to. Also the state’s dental board should have a similar registry that will prove very helpful because contacts and addresses are already embedded. Qualifications and special certificates in some states are put on the site itself so you can rest assured of your dentists competencies.
For those with extra special dental needs (I should know, I had dental gingivitis) contact your state’s department of public health. Tel them your dental needs and your financial capacities. They should also provide you with a list of all qualified and licensed dental practitioners in your state. When I did this, they sent me a register with all those who matched my needs highlighted. Thank you Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Professional dentists should always maintain ethical standards as per the American Dental Association and the states dental board. Dentists should always be members of these two organizations. They should also (as part of their proud nature) display their certificates, degrees and honorary notes in their offices. While we are on the subject, their offices should always be clean and tidy, they are in any case going to be roaming through your mouth. As part of their Hippocratic oath, your information should always be confidential and should keep a history file on you as a patient.
As you search and pour over yellow-pages and registers, you are probably wondering if there is a difference in the dentist title DDS and DMD. This is just a matter of semantics and depends on where the person graduated from. DDS stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery and DMD for Doctor of Dental Medicine. They are similarly qualified and for general dental problem are equal. Specialized dental care will require you to probably consult with orthopedic dental surgeons, whom are rare and cost more in consultation.
Walter Madasen is a DC area expert and is working to help you find a great dentist. Find out more about DC Dentistry at his website about Washington Dentists.
