Collaborative Post¦ Unlike when searching for a doctor, when you want to find a new dentist, you won’t (necessarily) be restricted to a specific location or catchment area. Instead, you are free to choose who you want to go to, assuming you are using a private dentist, of course. This fact can have several benefits, including the fact that you can search out a dentist with a specific specialty who may be able to help you more than another dentist would. You can also look at location, pricing, and qualifications ahead of time and be sure that you’re happy with the choice you’ve made.
The only issue is that there are thousands of dentists to choose from, and this can feel rather overwhelming. You certainly aren’t going to want to go and visit each individual clinic to see which one is best. So what are your options? The best thing you can do is to use the internet to find your ideal dentist; here are some ways to do this in the right way.
Photo by Yusuf Belek on Unsplash
Use Search Engines
The very first thing you can do when you’re searching for a dentist online is to use a search engine to give you an idea of how many there are to choose from and even to give you a shortlist to work from. This might sound basic, but with so many other options to choose from, it’s amazing how often the simple search engine can be missed out, even though it can offer up the best results and help you the most.
To use the search engine in the right way, don’t just search for ‘dentist’. Search for ‘dentist + your location’ e.g. dentist London or ‘dentist + specialty’ e.g. dentist crowns, and so on. This way you will save time, get the results that are going to mean the most to you, and find the right dentist for your specific needs. After all, you don’t want to spend precious time looking at a dentist in Warrington if you’re 200 miles away!
Use Social Media
Once you have narrowed down your search results to a handful of dentists that fall within your location, budget, and that do what you want them to do, you can check out their social media pages. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram… most businesses these days – including dentists – will have at least one account on a social media platform, and this will give you a better insight into what they are really like.
Looking at the dentists’ social media pages will show you a lot more than a website will in many cases. In fact, you can find out so many details you might even discover if they use Sowingo for their supplies or if they have an office cat. In other words, there is a lot more detail listed on a Facebook page than most other places because this is where the dental surgery wants to engage with as many people as it can. You can discover a lot about a place like this, and it might help you make your choice.
Read Reviews
Finally, once you have narrowed down your search to one or two dentists, check out their reviews. You need to see both sides of the situation before you can make a truly informed decision, and that means not just looking at what the dentist wants to show, but at what past patients have to say as well.
Remember, reviews need to be taken with a pinch of salt at times, and something that one person finds a negative might not bother someone else. Read them objectively and get a good overview of what you need to know before making any decisions.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.