You might have done the research and noticed that nursing home dental care for the elderly is very important and can prevent other illnesses. As people grow old, their bones start to weaken and diseases like arthritis can strike. When this happens, the elderly might not be able to visit a dental clinic due to mobility issues and that is when a mobile dentist comes in handy. However, finding the right mobile dentist can be hard since there are a lot of dentists around and all of them claim to be the best. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a mobile dentist.
Board-certified and qualified
When it comes to choosing the right mobile dentist for your family member or for yourself, it is important to ensure you are not skimping on important professional qualifications. Do not just believe what they tell you. If your prospective dentist claims to be qualified then you should ask them for the certificates to prove so.
Experience
When it comes to experience, there are a few things you have to look at. Do not just look at when the dentist started offering dental services. You need to know when the dentist started offering mobile dental services since that is what you are looking for.
Reviews
Experience doesn’t help when the prospective dentist has a lot of negative reviews from his/her previous clients. The best nursing home dental care should have positive reviews from most of their clients. You can find their reviews on their apps, website and independent review sites. Remember some reviews on websites can be manipulated so you should be very careful. You should also differentiate real reviews from bought reviews.
Meet and greet
Once you find a prospective dentist that you would like to work with, it is important to meet them in person. To find the right mobile dentist, do not be shy about visiting or calling the dentist. Most dentists offer free consultations and it is during this consultation appointment that you can judge whether the dentist is a good fit for you or not. You should make a list of questions and come with records so that the dentist can look at your dental and overall health history. If you want to ask specific questions, you should not hesitate. You will also be able to see if the dental office is comfortable, welcoming and neat.
It is important to know whether the dentist will explain ways to help you prevent general health problems, whether the dentist provides general health advice and how the office staff and the dentist handle emergencies. You should also check whether the dentist is friendly or not.
Choose a partner
When looking for nursing home dental care, you don’t just want someone who comes to your facility, does examinations and offer treatment options. You need to choose a partner. Since your dental health can affect your overall health, you want to work with a dentist who cares about you as a person and not as someone who pays him/her.
