woman in dental exam chair with mouth open and dentist's holding tools above

How to Choose the Best Dentist in Your Area

Team General Dentistry

Choosing the best dentist in your area should be easier than ever thanks to the internet, but sometimes having so much information at your fingertips can make the process even harder! Where do you start? What should you look for? How do you know a dentist is right for you? Here are some tips to help you choose the best dentist near you.


Get Recommendations From People You Trust


Believe it or not, word-of-mouth recommendations are still one of the most powerful forms of advertising dentists have. Reading information on websites or poring over online reviews is one thing, but hearing from a friend or family member that they love their dentist is another!

When you’re looking for a new dentist, it’s worth asking around to see if people you know have recommendations. Need cosmetic dentistry? Ask your friend who just got beautiful new veneers where they got them. Looking for a pediatric dentist? Post in your local parenting group asking for pointers.


Read Online Reviews—Carefully!


Reading online reviews of dentists can start to feel like one of those endless internet wormholes. Instead of spending hours reading every single word ever written about every dentist in your area, you can streamline the process by pulling up reviews and then searching for particular keywords that matter to you.

Let’s say you’re looking for a dentist who specialises in restorative dentistry for a dental crown. Search reviews for crowns to see what patients have to say about their experiences so you can read reviews that are relevant to you and the procedure you need. Always give the most recent reviews more weight than older reviews, which could reflect old technology, techniques, and personnel.


Make Sure the Practice Fits Your Needs


Beginning with recommendations and reviews will narrow down your choices, but the next step is even more important: visit the websites of your top contenders to make sure their practice is a good fit for you. Consider:

  • Office hours – Don’t create obstacles that prevent you from getting the dental care you need! If you know daytime appointments will always be difficult for you because of work or family obligations, don’t choose a dentist who’s never open past 5pm.
  • Services offered – Not every general dentistry practice provides every dental service. An office that offers comprehensive dental care means that you won’t need to visit multiple practices for different treatments or coordinate care between several specialists.
  • Technology – Advances in dental technology also advance patient care by making treatments more comfortable and improving patient outcomes. That’s why it’s important to make sure your dentist keeps up-to-date on the latest techniques and technologies.

Schedule an Appointment at Gardiners Dental Clinic


It’s worth taking the time to find the best dentist in your area because once you find the right fit, you’ll likely see them for many years or even decades! To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, contact us today at +1-613-544-2224.