Many of us stay loyal to our dentists for many years and whilst sometimes this can give you the comfort and familiarity that people enjoy, it isn’t always the best idea. Recently we moved to Sheffield and as such had to find a new dentist and whilst we were happy with our old dentist in Newcastle, it wasn’t until we found a new dentist in Sheffield that I realized just what we were missing out on. There are some signs to look for when it is time to look for a new dentist and if you are facing any situations like these, maybe it is time that you started shopping around.
Prices
Dentists of course have to raise prices when the cost of things goes up, but it should always be done with the patient in mind and not hiked up massively in one go. If your dentist is going to raise the prices then they should let you know in advance, and they should do so gradually to help the patients. When this happens it is time to have a look around for other dental practices to see how much they are charging for the same types of treatment.
Different Staff
New staff doesn’t always mean that you have to change your dentist but if there are big personnel changes at one time then you may wish to consider changing. You should ask yourself why the dental practice has such issues with personnel and what they are trying to achieve by replacing so many. If you can’t work it out or you can’t find an explanation, it may be better switching our loyalties to another practice.
Appointments
Something which many dental surgeries do is to overfill their patient list and this can result in you having to wait for a longer period of time before eventually getting an appointment. Naturally everyone wants to get in as soon as possible when they have an issue and this is why it is so important that dentists can offer a speedy service. If your waiting times are getting longer and longer it is time to seek out somewhere new.
Comfort
One thing you should always feel when you go to the dentist is comfortable and well looked after, this is the minimum which a dentists should be able to offer. If you don’t, for whatever reason, feel comfortable and cared for in your dental practice then you need to go somewhere where they will ensure that you feel as you should. Nobody loves going to the dentist of course, especially not if you have to have some work done, but at the very least you should feel safe and secure. If this feeling goes, so should you.
Loyalty is nice but you shouldn’t accept poor service or treatments just because you have been with the same dentist for a while. Look out for these signs and when you see them, start looking elsewhere.