Are you looking for a dentist in the Boulder, Colorado area? Finding and selecting just the right dentist is an important decision, whether for an individual, or for an entire family.
There may be no one universal and absolute best method for finding and selecting a new dentist in the Boulder, Colorado area, or anywhere for that matter. Still the following considerations are among some of the more important things to keep in mind and apply in your process. Observing just these few things will improve your ability to successfully match your requirements and likes with just the right Boulder dentist.
1) Ask family, friends, neighbors or co-workers for recommendations. Since everyone needs dental care throughout their lives, the people you know can be excellent resources in the process of finding a dentist. The opinions of those you trust will generally be much more valuable than the relatively anonymous opinions of people you don’t know (e.g., online reviews).
People you know will be motivated to help you. Simply ask “who is your dentist and what has your experience been like with them?” Asking questions like this is sure to produce valuable information.
2) Ask your family physician. If you’re moving to the Boulder, Colorado area, your current dentist may be able to make a recommendation. Healthcare professionals you already know may have contacts or belong to professional organizations that have members in the local Boulder, Colorado vicinity. Healthcare providers, and especially other dentists, are likely to have criteria for recommending a dentist that others might overlook. The American Dental Association (ADA) cites this method of finding a new dentist, among several others listed on their website.
3) Commitment to continuing education. Completing the educational and licensing requirements to become a dentist is just the start for top dentists. Participation in advanced continuing education and post-graduate training, at more than just the minimum requirement, is an indication that a dentists is committed to providing the highest levels of dental services to their patients. The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) is one well-known post-graduate educational and training organization for dentists.
4) Convenience considerations. What are the office hours? Are they convenient for your schedule? Is the office easy to get to from work or home? These criteria may not be at the top of the list in evaluating a new dentist, but depending on how tight your schedule is they may rank somewhere on the list.
While convenience is often an important consideration for people with busy schedules, keep in mind that a dentist with exceptional qualifications or important areas of specialization may merit the extra effort of going out of your way to visit. Dental patients living in the greater Boulder County area, or in nearby Denver, may opt to make the short trip to Boulder to see a dentist that practices dentistry in areas of specialization that are important for them.
5) Personal rapport and office environment. Personal rapport with a dentist and office staff is something that requires an office visit to evaluate. Passing this test might be a final step in selecting a dentist. Most dental offices offer a free initial consultation, which are ideal for this purpose.
In addition to asking the questions that are important to you, an office visit is an opportunity to evaluate the general appearance of the office. Is everything neat, clean, and orderly? Keep in mind that every dental office must abide by the current OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines for sterilization and disinfection.