What You Should Know Before Choosing a New Dentist
September 16, 2024
What to Look for in a New Dentist
Choosing a new dentist can be a time-consuming process that should be given adequate effort and thought for your future benefit. Ensuring that the dental practice you select meets the criteria you need requires you to look at a few factors:
- Insurance Coverage: Finding a dentist in your area that accepts your insurance is the first step in finding a new dentist. Most insurance providers allow you to call or search online for dentists in their network, which helps you to narrow down the list of options you can choose from. If you don’t have dental insurance or cannot find an in-network office within a reasonable distance to you, then you should compare the out-of-pocket costs of each office.
- Services: Not all dentists provide the same list of services or type of dentistry and checking their website or calling for more information about what dental services they provide is essential in your search. Whether you are searching for cosmetic dentistry, pediatric dentistry, or oral surgery services, you want to make sure your dentist provides the services you need to reduce having to seek additional services that may be out-of-network.
- Licensing & Qualifications: Reviews and proper licensing and certifications can enlighten your search as to which dental practice has the most qualified and well-trained staff. Reviews can also highlight the quality of care and whether most patients are happy with the care they receive.
- Comfort: Do you feel comfortable in the office and around the staff? By scheduling a consultation, you can meet staff and get a feel for the office before settling on your choice. Visiting the dentist can make people nervous, so their comfort is and should be of utmost importance to both the dentist and the patient.
Contact Our Dentist in Mentor, OH Today!
Mentor Smiles is an emergency dentist that serves Eastlake, Kirtland, Painesville, Willoughby Hills, OH, and beyond. Our dental services include cosmetic, general, and implant dentistry. From one-day dental implants to teeth whitening and dental cleanings, our staff provides the services you need for a smile makeover, helping to maintain your oral health and confidence through a brilliant smile! Schedule a consultation with us today.
Learn more about the importance of dental cleanings with Mentor Smiles! Our dentist provides cosmetic, general, and implant dentistry services in Mentor, OH. Contact us today!
Mentor Smiles is a dentist serving the Mentor, OH area. Click here to learn more about the signs that you need dental implants!
If you’re struggling with dental issues, it’s time to seek help from a professional. Contact Mentor Smiles in Mentor, OH to get started on your smile makeover!
Mentor Smiles is an oral surgeon serving Kirtland, OH. Click here to learn more about how long recovery takes from oral surgery!
Mentor Smiles provides dental implant dentistry and other services in Willoughby, OH, and beyond. Contact our dentist today to learn more!
Mentor Smiles is a dentist serving Willoughby, OH. Click here to learn more about the signs that indicate you need a root canal!
It’s very common to have a fear of going to the dentist. Some people are afraid of pain while their teeth are being worked on, while others have a fear of being told everything is wrong with their teeth. Whatever your fear is, here are some tips about how to reduce your anxiety while you’re at the dentist: Call and ask if they have a dentist for fearful patients - Giving the dentist's office a heads up about your fear of the dentist will give them time to find the best dentist for you. Not all dentists will have the patience to work with a nervous patient. Find a distraction - Some dentist offices have television, coloring stations for kids, magazines, and books in the waiting area. These are great things to use to calm your nerves while you wait to be seen by the dentist. Don't go alone - Even though it sounds silly, find a time to go to the dentist that works for your spouse too. This will give you someone to support you and reassure you that everything is going to be okay during your dentist appointment. Be a little early - Getting to the dentist a little early will give you or your child time to get acclimated to the new surroundings. Children tend to do better at the dentist when they see their parents get their teeth cleaned, so finding a family dentist is preferable for parents. Relaxation techniques - To help reduce your anxiety while you’re getting work done on your teeth at the dentist you could bring a stress ball and try to keep your mind focused on anything other than the dentist. This will decrease your chances of panicking while your dentist is working. Speak up if you feel pain - It’s a good idea to have a signal for the dentist to communicate that you are feeling pain. No matter what anyone says, it is not normal to feel pain at the dentist. Something like holding up one finger or your hand are great ways to communicate to your dentist that something doesn’t feel right.
At Mentor Smiles, we understand that dental emergencies can pop up out of nowhere. A trip or fall can lead to a tooth being knocked out. Tooth pain that you thought was manageable can become severe. When these sorts of things happen, you can’t afford to wait days or weeks for an appointment. You need treatment as soon as possible. The good news is that Mentor Smiles is here to provide same-day dental care when you need it most. Our emergency dentist in Mentor, OH will act quickly to preserve your teeth and your comfort. When you need us, all you have to do is call - we’ll fit you in! However, that being said, it’s natural to be unsure whether what you’re experiencing is a dental emergency or not. To help, we’ve put together a quick primer on dental emergencies so you know what to look for and when to seek help. What are the symptoms of a dental emergency? If you are bleeding from the mouth, have an abscess or infection, have lost or have a loose tooth, or are in severe pain, you’re having a dental emergency. Generally speaking, dentists consider a problem an emergency if waiting on treatment will lead to the loss of a tooth or severe pain. Some dental emergencies, like abscesses and infections, can even be life-threatening if left untreated. What types of problems are often considered emergencies? • Knocked-Out Teeth: If a tooth has been knocked out, it’s a dental emergency. Call the dentist right away. • Loose Teeth: Adult teeth should never become loose. If you have one or more loose teeth, you’re in danger of losing those teeth and need to see the dentist as soon as possible. • Bleeding from the Mouth: Oral bleeding is never a good sign! Call the dentist if you spot this symptom. • Cracked or Chipped Teeth: Sometimes a cracked or chipped tooth may be an emergency, but sometimes it might not be. If the crack or chip has sharp edges that could cut the inside of your mouth, or if it’s very painful, it’s a dental emergency. However, if it doesn’t hurt and isn’t in danger of cutting your mouth, you’ll generally be safe waiting a few days for treatment. • Abscess or Infection: Tooth abscesses are extremely dangerous: without treatment, the infection can spread to your jaw or other parts of the body. If you spot the symptoms of a tooth abscess - tooth sensitivity to temperature, a bump near the tooth that’s similar to a pimple, fever - call the emergency dentist right away. What should you do in a dental emergency? The safest thing to do is to call our emergency dentist right away - in fact, save our number in your phone so you’ll have it if you ever need it! Our office will do everything possible to fit you in for same-day dental care. We’ll also let you know how you should care for the tooth at home before you come in for your appointment. Remember, we offer same-day dental care for a reason: we know that sometimes, patients need it! Never hesitate to call us if you’re in pain or frightened by a symptom. Our office is here to get you through this emergency and help you smile again.
Over the last decade, cosmetic dentistry has significantly evolved. There are a wide variety of treatments that are available to address practically any cosmetic complaint. If you often wish that your teeth looked better, cosmetic dentistry is right for you. If your teeth are stained, chipped, broken, missing, or have gaps; modern cosmetic dentistry can give you a better smile - the smile you’ve always wanted. At Mentor Smiles, our dentists work with you to create an individualized treatment plan. Continue reading to see why cosmetic dentistry may be right for you and some of its many benefits.
There’s no question that implant dentistry has come a long way. Patients who have lost one or more teeth no longer have to be embarrassed about their incomplete smiles. Instead, with the help of dental implants, they can show off new teeth that look and function just like the ones they were born with! Here at Mentor Smiles, we’re dedicated to making sure that all patients who are candidates for implant dentistry can enjoy the benefits of this revolutionary procedure. To help you determine if dental implants might be a good fit for you, we’ve laid out the pros and cons below. THE PROS 1. Easier Chewing & Speaking Trying to chew or speak clearly when you are missing one or more teeth is not easy. In fact, it can be downright impossible in some circumstances. With a dental implant, though, you’ll have a replacement for that missing tooth that feels and functions just like the real thing. You’ll be able to enjoy your favorite foods and attempt those tongue-twisters with no problem! 2. Jawbone Preservation Jawbone is one of those “use it or lose it” things in life. If you do not have a full smile, part of your jawbone may start to be reabsorbed into the body. By placing an implant, we signal to your body that the jawbone is still needed, so it’s not reabsorbed. (This is why it’s better to get implants sooner rather than later.) 3. A Full Smile Forget about being embarrassed over the appearance of your smile! Once you have your dental implant put in and topped with an appropriate crown, very few people will be able to tell the difference between an implant and a natural tooth. You’ll be able to smile wide for the camera and show off your smile whenever and wherever you want. THE CONS 1. The Cost There’s no question that dental implant costs can be a barrier for many patients. We can’t give a general cost range here, as so much depends on the patient’s insurance coverage and individual circumstances. What we can do is say that we are committed to working with patients and their insurance companies to make sure that patients who need dental implants can get them. 2. The Time The dental implant process can be a lengthy one, taking as many as 3-6 months and numerous appointments before the implant has fused to the jawbone and can be crowned. That’s why we’re now offering one-day implants for patients who qualify. Depending on your personal circumstances, we might be able to place and cap implants in just one day! 3. Candidacy While dental implants are a necessary treatment for many patients, the truth is that not all patients are candidates for them. If you’ve already lost significant portions of your jawbone or are missing many teeth, dental implants might not be a practical solution. However, rest assured that Mentor Smiles will work with you to find a treatment that gives you the full smile you need and deserve. Obviously, there’s only so much we can cover in a single blog post. If you have more questions about dental implants or want to discover if you’re a candidate, just get in touch with us! We’d be happy to schedule an appointment for a consultation and help you find the right treatment for your smile. Call us today to get started !
