A family dentist treats patients of all ages through every stage of life. They provide preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental care to their patients. As such, they’re essential for helping you maintain healthy teeth and gums. But choosing the right dentist can be tricky.
Here’s how to get started.
Find a Dentist in Your Network
It’s not enough for a dentist to accept your insurance. All this means is that they’ll file a claim with your insurance company on your behalf. This is not the same as being an in-network provider.
Always check with your insurance company to see what dentists are in your network. The easiest way to do this is to go to their website and search for in-network dentists near you. You may also call the customer service number on your card to speak with a representative.
Choosing an in-network dentist is especially important if you have an HMO plan. An HMO plan won’t cover any services that occur out of your network. There’s no point in having insurance if you have to pay for everything out of pocket.
If you have a PPO plan, your insurance company will cover part of any out-of-network care. But it’ll be much less coverage than if you had chosen an in-network provider.
Choose a Dentist Near Your Home or Work
You don’t want to drive far when you’re in unbearable pain. For this reason, we recommend that you choose a dentist near your home or place of work. That way, you won’t have far to travel when the weather is bad or you need emergency dental care.
Dr. Bandos is incredibly responsive when patients face dental emergencies. Watch the video below to get the full story.
“The fact that somebody would take the time to do that was amazing to me.”
Choosing a dentist near you will also be more convenient for routine visits. You won’t have to miss as much time off from work when it’s time to see the dentist.
Research the Dentist and Their Practice
How long has the dentist been in practice? Are they a member of any professional organizations? These questions can help you determine a dentist’s level of expertise. For example, Dr. Bandos is a member of the , , , and the .
Learn more about Dr. Katherine Bandos →
Hear What Their Patients Have to Say
There are so many ways to hear what patients have to say about a dental practice. But most people start with Google reviews. Once you have a list of in-network dentists, check them out online and read what their patients have to say.
Beware of any dentists that have a low number of reviews. Even if they’re all positive, you’ll need more evidence before committing to a dentist. A five-star rating is more impressive if a dentist has over 100 reviews versus only three reviews.
We’re so grateful to all of our patients who write Google reviews for our practice. Often, this is how our new patients find us as told in the testimonial below.
“It’s one of the few dental practices in the area that has over 100 five-star Google reviews.”
We always encourage people to seek out as much information as possible before choosing a family dentist.
Check Out Their Smile Gallery
Any reputable cosmetic dentist should have a smile gallery on their website. This will show you what results they have been able to achieve for their patients.
To give you an idea, here are some before-and-after photos from our smile gallery. You can view the full gallery here.
Related: How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Improve Your Quality of Life →
Ask Your Friends and Family
Ask your friends and family members who they see for dental care. You may be able to get more information from a personal recommendation you can trust. For example, they’ll be able to tell you if the staff is polite or rude. They’ll also be able to talk about the quality of care they received as a patient.
We often get new patients who have been referred by friends and family. When patients have a great experience with us, they’re always happy to pass that information onto their loved ones who may be searching for a new dentist.
“I get compliments on my teeth and people will ask, so I’ve probably referred maybe 15 or 20 people.”
Request an Appointment With Dr. Bandos
Choosing a new family dentist in Kalamazoo, MI, is an important decision. As such, we’d be more than happy to answer any questions you may have during this process.
To request an appointment with Dr. Bandos, please call Kalamazoo Smiles at (269) 353-3700. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.
This blog post has been updated.
