If you're looking for a dentist in Derby, you're actually spoiled for choice (unlike some parts of the UK where patients are forced to wait long periods for dental appointments). In addition to general dentists in the Derby area, you can find a whole host of cosmetic dentists, orthodontists, and paediatric dentists, together with a number of nationally recognised experts who specialise in areas such as oral surgery and periodontics.
There are currently 85 different dentists listed in and around Derby and, if you're prepared to drive for just 20 minutes or so, you can find even options available in nearby Burton-upon-Trent and Nottingham (both are within 15 miles). With so many dentists to choose from in the Derby area, many local dental patients can feel overwhelmed by the sheer choice available. In these situations, many people simply choose the nearest dentist, the cheapest, or one that a friend or family member recommends.
Yet with such a golden opportunity to find exactly the type of service you're looking for, it just doesn't make sense to go with the easiest option. By walking through the simple process below, you'll be able to ensure that you find the right dentist for you and your family, whether you live in the centre of Derby or in the surrounding area in Ashbourne, Belper, Ripley, etc.
In order to ensure you make a sound decision and find the best dentist in Derby, you need to do three things: 1. work out what you're looking for, 2. develop a list of prospective dentists in Derby, and 3. narrow down your list to just one or two dentists that you'll actually book appointments with.
The first step in the process is to work out what you're looking for in a dentist. Ideally the best way to do this is to sit down with a pen and paper for a few minutes and list everything that's important to you.
One of the main things to consider is whether you'd like to choose a private or an NHS dentist for your treatment in Derby. NHS dentists are typically cheaper than private ones and there are plenty of these available in the area (check the Derby NHS Choices website for a full list). As is other parts of the UK, there may be times when you have to wait to get an appointment with an NHS dentist, although this should be less of a problem in Derby than in more isolated areas of the country. Additionally, the range of treatments available on the NHS may be restricted, so this is something else to consider when you're thinking about your budget for dental care.
Once you've thought about whether an NHS dentist or private one would suit you better, the next thing to focus on is whether you are looking for particular skills or specialities from your dentist. These might include such things as specialisations in orthodontics or paediatric dentistry (for your children) as well as cosmetic dentistry, or dealing with nervous patients, if that is a priority for you. As mentioned above, you can find specialists from all of the main branches of dentistry in Derby, as well as a number of visiting specialists who offer appointments in the area on a regular basis.
Another section on your list of needs should centre on your lifestyle requirements. These can include things like the ideal location of your dentist (dentists listed as being "in Derby" may actually be out of the town centre in Spondon, Mackworth, Chaddesden, etc.) In addition to location, you'll also need to consider your schedule and think about when you'll most likely be able to see your dentist. Remember that traffic conditions can be bad in Derby, so make sure you're not being too optimistic about being able to make it to your appointment on time! There are a few dentists in Derby that are open late and at the weekend and this may help with scheduling, but this is far from typical.
Finally, as you come to the end of your list of needs, note down anything else that will determine your choice of dentist. Do you have strong preferences regarding facilities? Is the latest equipment an important factor for you? Do you need to be able bring in your own music to help you relax? You might also want to consider whether you're looking for a dentist that shares your attitude to health care. For example, you may be looking for a dentist that provides white mercury-free fillings and who prefers to limit the number of x-rays to the minimum in the interests of your overall health. Whatever is important to you, add it to your list here.
Once you've completed your list of needs, the next step to finding the best dentist in Derby is to create a list of prospects to choose from. There are three main ways of doing this: using the internet, checking the Yellow Pages, and asking family and friends. Of these, the easiest and most convenient is to use the internet. Choose your favourite search engine (Google, Yahoo or Bing) and look for listings of dentists in Derby, as well as additional information that may help you to make your decision (such as user experiences, reviews, etc). Also, have a look at any dentists websites that come up, as you'll also be able to learn a lot from these, although, surprisingly, many dentists in Derby don't seem to have their own websites!
Although you won't be able to find as much information as when using the internet, the Derby Yellow Pages can still be quite useful. One of the benefits of using the Yellow Pages is that it makes finding telephone numbers easy (for some reason, as well as lacking websites, it's also often difficult to find the phone numbers for a number of dentists in Derby when searching online! If you don't have a copy of the Yellow Pages for Derby, you can find lists of phone numbers on the dental directory and NHS sites for Derby.)
Finally, after checking the internet and Yellow Pages, it's a good idea to ask family, friends and other people you know about which dentists they recommend. This can be especially useful when you have particular needs (such as being a nervous patient, etc) and know someone in a similar situation. Good dentists rapidly attract positive word of mouth, so pay attention to what others are saying about their dentists in Derby. You might even consider travelling a little further out (past Mackworth, for example) if you hear of a particularly good dentist outside Derby town centre. One thing to be careful of, however, is assuming that a dentist will suit you just because he or she suits someone else: we all have different needs. After writing out your list of preferences, you should now be quite clear on what's important to you when looking for a dentist.
By now you're now ready to narrow down your list of prospects further to find the best dentist for you. There are several ways to do this. Firstly, consider the conversations you've already had about dentists with your family and friends. Can what you've already learned help you to cross some dentists off your list, or place others at the top? When you've thought about this, have a look at the dentists' websites and see what impression you get. You should be able to develop a clearer picture of what services they offer and what it's like to receive treatment there. If the dentist doesn't have a website, this process will be more difficult for you and you're going to have to call them or pay them a visit to find the information you need. As mentioned earlier, this won't be too much of a problem as almost all of the 85 dentists in the Derby area are within a half-hour drive of the city centre.
Before you contact the dentist's clinic, make a list of your questions in advance and check to see that you've covered everything from your list of needs. Use the telephone to prune down your list of prospects to the final few. When you've done so, it's time to visit the last remaining clinics in Derby to get a sense of whether you'd like to be treated there. Meet the team, talk to the dentist, have a look around and notice how the patients seem. Are they relaxed and in a good mood, or do they seem nervous? Together with the results of your earlier research, this step should provide you with information you need to chose one or two dentists for the final step in the process: making an appointment.
In the absence of comprehensive ratings system for dentists, the best way to determine if a particular dentist is right for you (or not!) is to schedule an appointment. This first appointment will probably just be for a consultation and a brief look at your teeth, or perhaps a simple cleaning. Use this opportunity to ask the dentist any final questions you might have and to get a sense of whether you feel you can relax with and trust the dentist. If at this stage you feel some misgivings or if there are any problems, it's better to move onto one of the other dentists from your list and schedule an appointment there. If, however, everything seems right and you feel positive about this new dentist then well done! It looks like you might have just have found your new dentist in Derby!
By following this process: thinking through your needs, developing a list of prospective dentists in the Derby area, pruning them down to the final few, and then getting direct experience of being treated by them, you'll be sure to find the best option for you, while avoiding the problems so many other people face when dealing with a dentist that simply wasn't the right choice for them from the start.
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Article Source: EzineArticles
