None of this is about fancy equipment or a pretty office, though those are nice. It's about how a dentist thinks, and you can learn most of it in one visit if you know what to watch for.
Do they show you, or just tell you?
A good dentist puts your X-ray or scan on the screen and points. You should be able to see the cavity, the crack, the bone level. If the findings only exist in their words, you have no way to weigh them. Ask to see it. The answer to that request tells you a lot.
How often do they say "let's wait"?
This is my favorite tell. Not every shadow needs a filling and not every worn filling needs replacing. A dentist who sometimes recommends watching, and re-checking in six months, is a dentist who is thinking about your tooth rather than the schedule. If every visit ends with a treatment plan, ask why.
Do they remove as little as possible?
Ask how they decide between a filling, an onlay and a crown. You're listening for a preference toward keeping tooth structure. A crown on a tooth that could have taken an onlay is enamel you never get back.
Who owns the practice?
It matters. Many offices today are owned by large groups that measure dentists on production per hour. Plenty of good dentists work in them, but the incentives are different. When the dentist owns the chair, the only person she answers to is you.
Will they put the numbers in writing?
Before any treatment, you should get an estimate showing what your insurance is expected to pay and what you'll owe. Ask how estimates work before you sit down.
How do you feel when you leave?
Lectured? Rushed? Sold to? Or informed and a little relieved? Dentistry has a fear problem, and the offices that take it seriously are slow with injections, patient with questions, and never make you feel judged for how long it's been.
Bring your last treatment plan. Ask hard questions.
The best way to evaluate a dentist is a second opinion. Bring your X-rays and your last plan, and see whether the explanation makes sense to you. You can read how I think on our philosophy page, or start with a first visit.
Quick answers
Owner of mend dental in Irvine and a graduate of the University of the Pacific's Dugoni School of Dentistry. Dr. Sison writes and reviews every article for clinical accuracy.
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