General Dentistry |7 min read

Top 5 Criteria to Consider When Choosing Your Ideal Dentist in Calgary

Man wearing glasses and searching for best dentist Calgary on his laptop.

There are over a thousand general dentists to choose from in Calgary. Hence, finding a new dentist can be overwhelming for many, and it can even cause you to delay or avoid seeking urgent dental care.

So, you may be wondering:

What are some important things to consider when selecting the best dental clinic for you? What are some things to look for when searching for the best dentist in Calgary for you?

This article will outline five important factors and help you find the best dental home for you and your family.

1. Formal education, training, and experience

When looking for a great Calgary general dentist for you or a loved one, it’s important to make sure that the dentist you choose is qualified and competent at performing the dental treatments you and your family need.

We recommend calling and booking a “Meet and Greet” or initial consultation to get to know your family dentist and the dental team before scheduling your first dental appointment.

It’s best to write down a list of questions you want to ask at your initial consultation, which may include the type of continuing education courses or special training the dentist completed and how long they have been practicing for.

While most dentists are competent at basic dental services, and some Calgary dentists may have a special interest or limit their practice to specific areas of dentistry, we recommend finding a dentist who’s experienced in all aspects of general dentistry.

This dentist will be more likely to meet all of you and your family’s dental needs in the long run.

At 16th Avenue Dental, our dentist Dr. My Le and team have a combined over 75 years of experience in dentistry. We take continuing education courses to stay up to date on the different technology, dental techniques, and treatment options available. This allows us to continually offer our patients the best dental treatment options available.

2. Convenience

An important factor when selecting the best Calgary dental office for you is location, location, location.

While at home, using Google or Google Maps’ search engine, you can type in “dentist near to me… This text opens a new tab to the Google Maps website…” or “Calgary dentist… This text opens a new tab to the Google Maps website…” to find a dentist close to home.

It’s best if the clinic is located close to your work, school, or home for convenience.

A dental clinic located far away from home can make it harder to schedule dental appointments and may discourage you from regularly utilizing their dental services. Parents of children or people with limited transportation will find it easier to choose a dental office close to home.

Since the pandemic, many people are now working from home, and thus, having your dental clinic close to work is no longer practical.

If you don’t have access to a vehicle, it’s best to check if there is a bus route or LRT access to the dental office.

Some people will choose a dental clinic within walking distance to their home to avoid traffic, commute, and the inconvenience of finding parking. Finding parking can be a deal-breaker when you’re rushing to and from work.

Our Calgary dental clinic is conveniently located within a short walking distance from SAIT, and we offer free parking.

Having convenient hours of operation is another critical factor when selecting the best dental clinic for you. Based on your work or school schedule, you can determine if the clinic’s business hours will work with your schedule or not. If you work business hours, it is worth checking if the clinic offers evening appointments.

Our Calgary dentist offers evening appointments to fit with your work business hours.

3. Affordability

Dental care can be expensive.

If you have dental insurance, look for dentists that will directly bill your insurance company. This is also called a non-assignment clinic.

At 16th Avenue Dental, we are pleased to offer direct billing to your insurance to help make your appointment as easy as possible.

That way, you only need to pay the co-payment (the difference between what your insurance plan pays and what your dentist charges) at the time of service.

You can do a search through your insurance company’s website to check their listings for dental clinics that accept your insurance.

Suppose you don’t have dental insurance coverage. In that case, we recommend selecting a dental clinic with reasonable fees or one that offers financing options or monthly payment plans to avoid delaying your dental treatment due to cost concerns.

16th Avenue Dental offers convenient financing options through Dentalcard and Medicard’s financing program. Call us for more details.

Call Us: 403-282-9141

The best strategy is to compare dental fees for common dental procedures amongst neighbouring dentists to get an idea of the going rate in the area.

It’s also important to note that the highest quality dentist may not be the cheapest in Calgary, so we recommend doing your full research before making the most inexpensive dentist your top choice Calgary dentist.

Affordable dental care should be provided without compromising the quality of care.

Hence, if you can find a dentist in Calgary that offers both affordable and high-quality dental care, it is best to stick with that dentist until they retire!

4. Patient Recommendations/Reviews

The best way to check for dentist recommendations is directly through friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbours, or other health care providers.

They can give you their top choice dentist and speak from their own direct experience. If you’re moving to a new city area, check with your current dentist to see if they can suggest a top-notch dentist close to your location.

Another way to seek out a highly recommended dentist is through online patient reviews.

Most dental clinics will have patient reviews posted on their Google, Facebook, or Yelp page.

This will give you more insight into the level of care and satisfaction from their patients.

When checking for online reviews, make sure to look for a high score rating out of 5 stars and check for a high number of patient reviews provided to get a better idea sample size of patient satisfaction.

For example:

A clinic with an average rating of 5.0 stars with only ten patient reviews is not as desirable as a clinic with an average of 4.9 stars with 100 patient reviews.

Read Our Google Reviews

Click here to check 16th Avenue Dental’s Google reviews. Our current Google review score: 4.9 stars with over 150 patient reviews.

5. Dental Services Offered

Most general dental clinics offer basic dental services, such as dental cleanings and fillings, while others provide the full scope of dentistry.

If you have a family, it is best to find a family dentist or general dentist who can meet all your family’s dental needs in the long run.

Family dental practices provide all the dental services needed for family members of all ages.

The full scope of dental services includes:

  • Cleanings
  • Teeth whitening
  • Fillings
  • Root canals
  • Crowns
  • Extractions
  • Dentures

Some clinics, such as 16th Avenue Dental, will also offer advanced dental services such as Invisalign braces and therapeutic and cosmetic BOTOX®, both of which require additional training and certification by the dentist.

Your ideal dentist should also offer emergency dental services, including same-day appointments and after-hours emergency care.

Dental emergencies such as a broken tooth, dental infection, inflammation, or toothache may require same-day urgent care.

If you have a dental emergency outside of office hours, make sure your dentist has an after-hours emergency line, where you can directly reach your emergency dentist and receive immediate care and attention.

For emergency dental services, please call 403-282-9141 and ask to speak with our Calgary emergency dentist.

Call Us: 403-282-9141

What dental treatments do you offer?

Our NW Calgary dental office offers the following dental services:

Book an appointment with us today.

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Or:

Our office is located in Calgary, AB… This text opens a new tab to the Google Maps website…. We happily welcome patients from all over, including Mount Pleasant, Crescent Heights, Hillhurst, Sunnyside, Kensington, West Hillhurst, Capitol Hill, Rosedale, Tuxedo, Briar Hill, Renfrew, Rosemont, and Downtown Calgary.