How to Find Your Trustworthy Dentist in South Edmonton
Are you looking for a family dentist in Edmonton? Maybe you don’t have a family and would like to see a dentist independently. Whatever the case, before you go searching for a “dentist near me” or the “best dentist in Edmonton”, it can be helpful to understand what you’re looking for in a dentist in order to know what to ask about their services. At Viva Dental Wellness, we’ve taken extra care to ensure that our clients are as comfortable as possible when they visit our clinic. And, while we can’t deny our bias, we think that we are the best dental clinic in Windermere.
Location
As a dentist in South Edmonton, we see clients from all around Edmonton and its surrounding area. It is important to consider how far you are willing to travel to see your favorite dentist, particularly in the wintertime when roads can be slow and treacherous. Your dentist should be accessible enough for you to make and keep your appointments – if traveling is too difficult, you are more likely to postpone and push-off appointments, putting your oral health at risk. If you have medical conditions, like diabetes, that may require you to attend the dentist for maintenance more often, it’s important to consider this in your choice of clinics.
Services
Not every dental clinic in Edmonton offers the same services. but all meet the training requirements to be a general dentist. General dentists perform the majority of your service needs such as routine cleaning and diagnostics, restorations like fillings and crowns, and even some cosmetic services like whitening treatments. If you have further requirements such as dental implants or smile design, it is important to ask whether these services are offered by the clinic.
Hours
Whether you are looking for a dentist in Windermere or in Castledowns, you need to know whether the clinic’s hours will suit your needs. If you are seeing a dentist independently, consider your work hours and other time commitments. If you have a family to be seen, you may want to ask more questions.
If you are bringing your family in, consider the ages of the children and how they typically do at the dentist. If your children are new to going to the dentist, you may want to inquire about a meet and greet with the dental team to get to know the office environment. If your children require more time to settle in, extended appointments could be something you discuss with your clinic’s reception. Patients who require weekend or late appointments due to work schedules will need to know whether there are any extended hours at the clinic and when they are offered. Visiting the dentist with more than a couple of family members? Ask about group appointments. Group appointments allow the caregiver to have all members of the family seen on one (admittedly long) day. While your dentist may not be able to see everyone at once, group appointments ensure that all members of the family are seen on the same day. A long day of group appointments can save significant time when you consider the travel and arrangements necessary to have each member of the family seen on the same day.
Special Needs
If you are a caregiver to children or elders with special needs due to autism, dementia, or other conditions, you want to be sure that your dental clinic is experienced with these types of patients. These patients often take longer to feel comfortable in the environment, so extended appointments, as well as a clinic tour, can sometimes be helpful. Your dentist and their team should be experts at making their clients feel comfortable in the dental chair. In some cases, patients with special needs or severe anxiety are not able to relax in the dental chair without medical assistance in the form of laughing gas or oral sedation. It is important to know whether your dental clinic offers this, since clinical procedures may not be possible without it. Uncomfortable or anxious patients commonly move around in the dental chair, interrupting a dentist’s speed and accuracy. In these cases, the procedure time can take significantly longer, meaning a longer duration in the chair for the patient and a more difficult job for the dentist.
Viva Dental Wellness is the dentist in Southside Edmonton that offers more than just a typical dental experience. If you are looking for a dentist in Windermere, we would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services and how we support our patients. Your experience with us will always feel warm and customized, without the ‘transactional’ feel at some other dental clinics. We value our long-term relationships with our patients and hope that you’ll become one too!