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When I have a patient moving to an area I am unfamiliar with my recommendation is to contact the periodontal and oral surgery practices in their new area and inform them you are new in the area and would like a recommendation for two or three general dental practices. The practice reccomended most often is a good place to start.
I can see where you are coming from, but I would disagree with this comment. All the dental lab really sees is how particular dentists cut their crown preps. Not that the lab is even really paying attention to how good/bad a crown prep is when they are focused on constructing many restorations under a tight schedule. Also, many times local dental labs don't service any substantial majority of local dentists, so they wouldn't be able to comment on those doctors that are not their clients.
I believe it is best to contact a dental lab. They see the workmanship of what everyone sends in. They can easily judge the skill set that each general dentist produces.
Laypeople don't know what makes a good dentist. Google/Yelp, etc. might find the ones with the prettiest offices, shortest wait times, or nicest staff, but unless someone is in the field, they're not going to be able to distinguish mastery from incompetence.I think with these days, simply typing dentists in [city] on google would help you find a good dentist based on reviews or help you narrow down a list of dentists.
So, I wrote a post on my blog recently about how to find a good dentist. Most of the information came from things I'd learned in dental school. What do you say when a friend asks you for the signs of a good dentist? Just curious. It seems everyone has a different opinion.
Interesting discussion. I would believe someone who personally recommends me
a place as the trust value is higher and moreover I would know for sure that the place is good as someone already has a previous experience at that place. I did the same when I took the advice of my uncle for getting my wisdom tooth removed from a dental care clinic( http://www.pearldentalburlington.com/ ) in Burlington. Hence asking around people you know would be the ideal way.
Signing up with a dental network that appeals to cash paying customers is also interesting - outside of regular insurance. I'm looking at http://benefitsrus.com/find-a-dental-provider as an example.Anyone want to start a business? The Angie's list of dentists. Could be huge.![]()
I'd tell them to stay away from "Corporate Dentistry". I've yet to see quality from a corporate practice. Ask neighbors, look at reviews, make sure the practice does perio probing and charting. Look for cleanliness.Good point.