When you need an emergency dental clinic, you still want the best service possible. Never settle from the first name that comes up when you search for a dentist near me, instead, take the time to evaluate each one.
Of course, when you do have a toothache or dental pain, you don’t want to be endlessly comparing emergency dental clinics. To simplify and speed things up for you, we put together this simple plan to make sure you get taken care of in the best way possible.
Here are the top 5 things you should look for when finding the best emergency dentist in Mississauga with the emphasis on care:
1. Reputation
You cannot possibly know how you will be treated without actually having an appointment at the dental office. Some people have dental anxiety so it’s exceptionally stressful for the first appointment.
The best way to know ahead of time is the testimony of friends and family. However, if you don’t have access to that or are new to a city, like Mississauga, how can you know? Fortunately, there are multiple 3rd party, free speech protected services that allow people to leave good, bad and sometimes ugly reviews.
Make sure there are enough reviews to get a sense of how you will be treated. If the clinic has 5 reviews and 1 of them is bad, the rest good, how can you know? But if a clinic has hundreds of reviews and still has an A+ rating, then you know you can expect to be treated well.
Google reviews are the most trusted, followed by Ratemds, Facebook and Yelp.
When you find an emergency dentist with glowing reviews, it gives you confidence in the service, which can be a real boost for nervous patients.
2. How you are treated when you call
If you call the office, are you spoken to rudely? Or, when you call, do the people that answer the phones take the time to ask how you are doing or a little bit about you and the toothache emergency you are experiencing?
Generally, the front desk is not going to be a 100% reflection of the technical competency of the dentist (because sometimes front desk staff can be rotated out) but it gives you an idea of how well you be treated overall, that they care and if you decide to stay at the office, what your relationship with them would be like.
3. When can you get an appointment?
How quickly can you get an appointment? If you need an emergency dentist, it is usually an unforeseen issue, and you have a problem that needs urgent attention.
Reasonable time frames are within 24-48 hours unless they offer walk-in emergency dental services. However, it’s your call because if the issue isn’t urgent but still an emergency (cracked tooth), and you really like the office because it has great reviews and great people working there, then you can decide to wait a few more days for a schedule opening.
4. Services Offered
Some considerations for dental services offered are as follows, make sure you ask them:
- Do they offer the service you need – such as a tooth extraction?
- Can they do all the services under one roof for convenience.
- Can they do follow up treatment at the same appointment or within a reasonable time frame at the same office such as putting on a natural looking tooth crown after a root canal.
5. Location
How convenient is the office compared to your location? Is it near your house or work? How easy is it to get there from your house or work?
The location of the office is important because it can make things easy or difficult for you to get to your appointment. Especially, if you are planning to stay at that clinic long term as a patient, it should be accessible.
The reason location is last is because it’s hard to find a great office. When people find a great dental office and have a great relationship with the staff and trust them with their health, minor delays or complications with getting to the office, even if it’s a bit farther than they like, is overlooked.