By Dr. Michael A. Kezian, DDS
Uh oh! You just broke your front tooth and you need an emergency dentist, fast! You don’t know who to call or where to go. You’re stuck calling different offices but none seem to be open, or if they are, they don’t have available appointments. This is a scenario you want to avoid!
Find yourself a dentist you are comfortable with before you have a dental emergency! We have some tips for you to use as guidelines to help you find the dentist you will truly be happy with … and don’t worry; even if you’re stuck trying to find a dentist during an emergency, these tips will still come in handy!
Google Search:
For starters, Google is the place to go. We all know how quickly you can find something on Google. This is one of the simplest ways someone can find a dentist. Type “dentist near me” in the search bar and you’ll find a number of dentists you can check out. You can even try searching in Google Maps to see exactly where each dental office is located on the map.
Checking Online Reviews:
Yelp is one of the most modern approaches to finding a dentist, or any other professional for that matter. You can find real patient reviews discussing the quality of the dentist you are searching. You might even come across reviews mentioning the price, the wait time, the parking, the cleanliness of the office, or the type of technology the office uses.
Other reviews can be found on Google+. Patients who post reviews on websites like Google+ tend to be internet savvy patients. These patients spend their time researching different things, so you know you can find good, detailed reviews on websites like this.
Apart from Google+ and Yelp, there is also City Search. This website has been around since 1995. This means you can find reviews here that can let you know how experienced the dentist you’re looking for may be. If the dentist has been practicing since the website was founded, you already know the dentist has a number of years of experience under their belt.
During Emergency Cases:
It is very important to be checking all these websites to collect the most accurate information you possibly can. Now, if you don’t have the time to search because you’re having a dental emergency, your case is different. You need to focus on specific keywords that will make your search more efficient so you’re not stuck calling different offices hoping one will be open. In times of emergencies you would need to focus on specific keywords like, “24 hour dentist”, or “emergency dentist”, or even “dentist open now”. These types of keywords will help you get the answer you are looking for a lot faster and will help you get out of pain a lot faster as well!
Larchmont Dental Associates – 581 N Larchmont Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90004 – (323) 465-2127 – www.larchmontdentists.com