How Far Are You Willing to Travel for Great Results?
There are many reasons to see a convenient dentist for your regular checkups. With the number of visits you’ll be making for regular checkups, it just makes sense to find one that won’t eat up too much time traveling to. And there is not as much difference in the quality of results you will receive for checkups and cleanings as for some other procedures.
But for a procedure like dental implants, it may make more sense to travel to find the right dentist. You will have fewer visits required: just the procedure and a few follow-up visits. Some follow-up care can even be handled by your local dentist. And the quality of results you receive will vary much more widely. Plus, your dental implants could be restorations for life. It’s much more critical to make sure you get them right.
It may be worth it to travel anywhere in the country to work with the right implant dentist. If you want to work with the best implant dentist for you, you may have to be prepared to travel. And it may be worth it. But make sure an implant dentist is prepared to take out-of-town guests.
Ask for Recommendations
If you know people who have gotten dental implants in the recent past, ask them about their dentist and whether they’d recommend them. If they recommend their dentist, add them to your list to consider.
If you have a good relationship with your current dentist, you might even ask them for recommendations. The same is true for your doctor. It’s likely that they have seen patients who have had dental implants with good success, though your doctor is less likely to know when a patient has gotten dental implants.
Remember, don’t just go with a dentist on the basis of a single recommendation. Some dentists may be good for others but not good for you. And a single good result isn’t always a good metric for finding the right dentist.
Search Online
Start out by searching for dentists that you have had recommended. Then expand your search to implant dentists generally in the area–and the country.
When you find dentists’ websites, look at their before and after gallery first. If the dentist isn’t creating quality results, they’re not someone you want to work with. Also exclude any dentist who doesn’t have their own before-and-after images, but are using images licensed by a company that sells implants or restorations.
After the before-and-after gallery, check out a dentist’s “About” page. Find out what kind of training the dentist has in implant dentistry, whether they work with another dentist to plant the implant itself, and what is their philosophy on dental implants. Also read their pages on implant dentistry not just for their philosophy but to get an idea about how thorough they are about patient education. A dentist who cares enough to put up many pages of good information is likely concerned that patients have enough information to make informed decisions, which is a good sign for working with them.
Read Reviews
Read reviews online for dentists that are still on your list for consideration. Remember, don’t be swayed by a single good or bad review. Instead, pay attention to the overall thrust of the reviews. And don’t just look at stars–always read reviews. What someone considers terrible might be ideal for you–or vice versa.
Once you’ve read reviews, it’s time to schedule consultations with at least three dentists.
Schedule Consultations
You want to talk to at least three dentists. For local dentists, you can visit their office, but for out-of-town dentists, you may have to schedule online consultations. The dentist will tell you all the information you need to send them to make the consultation successful.
Talk to potential dentists about their training, the results they are able to achieve, and what they recommend in your case.
And don’t forget to ask for more before-and-after images as well as the contact information with a previous patient. A dentist who doesn’t have a single patient who is willing to speak about their quality results, either isn’t delivering results or isn’t fostering good relationships with patients–both bad signs.
Make a Decision
Once you’ve gotten all the information, it’s time to make a decision. Go with the dentist that gives you the best confidence in their ability to deliver quality results. Price should never be a leading factor in your decision-making. If you can’t afford a procedure, it’s better to finance it–or not get the procedure–than to risk poor quality results. Dental implants are only worth investing in if they’re good quality.
If none of the dentists you’ve spoken to give you full confidence, start your search over, or, if you’ve only been searching locally, expand your search to other areas.
If you are considering dental implants in Savannah, GA, or anywhere in the country, we invite you to contact us at (912) 234-8282 to consider the outstanding implant dentists at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
