Choosing a dentist for you and your family can be difficult. There are many factors to consider, such as location, pricing, and whether the practice can serve the unique dental needs of each family member.
It’s important to make sure the dentist you visit is a right fit, so we have put together a list of questions for you to consider before making your decision.
How close is the dental practice to your home or office?
When choosing a dental practice for you and your family, you want to make sure it is convenient to travel to. If the office is far from where you live or work—or where your children go to school—you’re more likely to skip regular visits that are important for your oral health.
One of the great things about DeJesus Dental Group is that we have more than one office for patients to visit. If you live in Bridgeport and know it will be easier to travel to the dentist from your home, you can become a patient at our Bridgeport/Trumbull Line location. If you work in Shelton and feel it’ll be easier to visit the dentist during a long lunch break, you might consider frequenting our Shelton office.
What advanced training or education has the staff received?
It might seem like enough that your dentist has graduated from dental school, but a great dentist is always learning. Check out the website of the practice you are considering and head to the “About Us” page. Look for an “Advanced Training” section and see if there’s anything besides DDS or DMD listed in the dentist’s bio.
Dr. Phillip DeJesus, for instance, didn’t stop his education after receiving his dental school degree. By completing a demanding set of requirements, including hundreds of hours of continuing education courses, Dr. DeJesus has earned the designation of Master of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. DeJesus is also among an elite group of dentists across the country who can perform the Hybridge Dental Implant procedure, a treatment that breaks the cycle of patients’ ongoing dental issues (learn more about that here).
Will the dental practice accept your insurance?
When you’re shopping around for a new dentist, make sure you call the practice and ask if it will accept your insurance. Then, make sure the dentist is “in-network” with your dental benefit plan. If the dentist is “out-of-network” you could end up paying more for your visit than you had planned.
Is the dental practice clean and comfortable?
This one should be a given. If you walk into the room for your dental appointment, and the chair hasn’t been wiped down, used tools from a previous appointment are still in sight, or the hygienist or dentist doesn’t put on a fresh pair of gloves before handling your teeth, it’s time to leave, immediately.
You shouldn’t keep a lookout for just an unclean dental room. If the waiting rooms, or bathrooms, also show a lack of cleanliness—unswept floors, dust bunnies in corners, messy countertops—that signifies the staff’s lack of care for the health and comfort of patients.
Your dentist should strive to make sure you are comfortable every time you enter their practice for an appointment, and if the office’s cleaning practices are not up to your standard—or the recommendations of health agencies—you should search for another practice for you and your family.
Does the practice offer Saturday appointments?
Life can get hectic. Between work, school, and afternoon activities, it can be difficult finding time during the week to visit your dentist. And if your place of employment doesn’t offer paid time off, you potentially lose money any time you need a teeth cleaning.
When trying to choose a dentist, it’s worth looking into whether the practice offers Saturday appointments, so you can use the weekend to take care of your family’s dental needs. DeJesus Dental Group understands the necessity of using non-business days to see to your oral health, which is why our Bridgeport office is open one Saturday a month for appointments from patients of record.
Does the practice offer multiple dental services?
Every member of your family has different dental needs. One of your children might need braces, while the others need routine cleanings or fillings. You don’t want to have to visit different dental offices—many people find it difficult to visit just one.
Look for a practice that offers multiple services, from general dentistry to restorative and cosmetic dentistry, so that you are not driving all over town for different dental visits. DeJesus Dental provides standard hygiene appointments, orthodontic care, and even innovative dental implant treatments.
Are you seeing the same faces during every visit?
If you visit any place frequently, you know how nice it is to have the same friendly associates greet you and take care of your needs. The presence of familiar people in a setting offers stability, and especially in a dental practice you want to have the hygienists or dentist you’ve grown to know and trust working on your teeth.
Seeing the same staff members during each visit also indicates that the practice values and takes care of its employees. If the hygienists feel valued, that filters down to how they treat you. An employee who is satisfied with their job is more likely to do a good job, and we can all agree that we want the people working on our teeth to do a good job.
Does the practice receive patients quickly following dental emergencies?
Accidents happen, and especially when they happen to your teeth, you want a solution, fast. Ask the dental practice you are considering if they take emergency appointments after business hours. Better yet, find out if the practice has reserved appointments specifically for emergencies, so even on a busy day, you have a chance of being seen.
DeJesus Dental Group keeps a handful of urgent care dental appointments at both offices. They are offered on a first come, first served basis, and they are available to anyone needing emergency care, whether you are a regular patient or not.
DeJesus Dental Group Is Taking New Patients
We hope these questions will help in your search for a new dentist, and if you live or work in the Bridgeport, Trumbull, or Shelton areas, we’d love to welcome you to our practice. Whether you need an exam, a second opinion, or more advanced treatment, our skilled dentists and hygienists have you covered.
Book your first appointment online or call us today to learn how DeJesus Dental is the perfect fit for you and your family.