Hi, my name is Dr. Abalos with Sunbrite Dental, and a lot of friends and family from out of town ask me questions on how to find a good dentist. So I am going to go over some of the questions that I usually get from my friends and family that live in California or in other states, and that way, I can help you find a dentist that best fits your needs.
What should I consider when choosing a dentist?
What I tell my patients, friends, or family that ask me this, I think the number one thing to consider is how comfortable you feel with this person, because it is a relationship that you're entering, usually not one that people like to make again. Most people, and I hear it every day, tell me to my face they don't like dentists, so it's really important. I would say this is the most important thing: to find a dentist that you feel truly comfortable and safe with, because this area of the body is very intimate, and you want to be able to open up with this person and feel comfortable enough to address any concerns that you may have. You want to feel safe, not judged, and that they are just willing to take care of you. You want to feel all of that when considering choosing a dentist.
How do I find an expert in cosmetic dentistry in Las Vegas?
One of the proofs is in the pudding; look at their actual before and after photos. Make an appointment, depending on what it is that you'd like to achieve. If you're looking into teeth whitening, veneers, or what we call crown lengthening, any of those procedures, feel free to ask what their actual patients looked like before and after because no dentist can hide from their work. If their work is what you like and you feel comfortable with them, that would be the best fit for you in finding an expert in cosmetic dentistry here in Las Vegas.
The other thing that you should look for is how often that dentist is going to continuing education classes. Just like technology with phones, technology in dentistry moves really fast, and there's always something new. There are always new techniques, new ways to achieve a natural-looking smile or a brighter smile, or whatever it is that you're trying to improve the look of. There's always some latest and greatest, and so you want to make sure that the dentist you're going to is not doing the same procedures from the 80s or the 90s. Things have definitely changed. Just like the technology that you see with phones, technology in dentistry has allowed us to do so many cool things in providing good cosmetic dentistry. Here in Sunbrite Dental, our main dentist is Dr. Calvo, and every year he goes to continuing education courses on implants, cosmetic dentistry, and veneers. He belongs to a Facebook group called Pearls of Wisdom, and he's always looking to see how he can improve, what he can incorporate, what the patients here in Las Vegas are looking for, and how we can deliver that in a quick, efficient manner that's satisfactory to our patients.
How do I find an expert in restorative dentistry in Las Vegas?
My answer is going to be similar: ask to see their before and after photos. Good dentistry with good materials, dental work can last. Crowns can last more than five years. Fillings can last years upon years on end if the dentist and the patient work together side by side, meaning the dentist does good work with quality materials, and the patient does their part in maintaining their oral health care at home. The key component is visiting the dentist regularly, at least twice a year.
How do I find a family dentist in Las Vegas?
I know from speaking to a lot of our mom patients, the number one thing they're looking for is convenience. Can the dental office see the family at the same time? Because moms, we are amazing; we have to balance not only our schedules, our kids' schedules, and our husbands' schedules. One of the key components is what the scheduling looks like? Can that dental office handle seeing the mom, the dad, the kid, the two kids, the three kids, all at the same time? Because that's usually what's convenient for the families that we service here at Sunbrite Dental. So that would be one of the questions that I would ask in trying to find your family dentist here in Las Vegas. Can the dental office see my multiple family members at around the same time, or do they need to be blocked out on different days and different hours? You can find one that a lot of your family members will feel comfortable with, making sure that the kids feel comfortable and that there's no surprises, because we want to make sure we start the kids off with really good dental memories. What I've seen is that with the adults who do have a fear of dentists, eight out of 10 have had really bad dental memories from when they were a kid. Another thing to look for is, the office is kid-friendly, or does the office just cater towards adults? That's another key factor that I've noticed my mom's patients tell me that they look for.
So, I hope this was able to help you try to figure out how you can find different types of dentistry that you are looking for here in Las Vegas. If I wasn't able to answer your specific question that you've been mulling around in your head, please feel free to call me. My name is Dr. Abalos, and I'm here at Sunbrite Dental, and you can reach me at (702) 819-0866. I look forward to seeing you and your family here at SunBrite.