There are many different methods for finding the dentist in Perth that is just right for you. We will outline some of the pros and cons of each and give you helpful links.
Traditional methods of finding the dentist in Perth that is best for you.
Referral by a friend, family member or co-worker. Some people will easily volunteer who their dentist in Perth is: "you will love my dentist...he gives such good needles, you never feel a thing" That may be the case, but it doesn't tell you what the dentist's work was like once you got numb. Or "my dentist is such a perfectionist and never settles for anything but the best, only problem is the injections sometimes hurt but I don't care because I know I am getting the best job done"
"I am such a sook...my dentist sedates me every time I need a filling" If you are not scared of the dentist, this may not be the dentist for you either.
Some people play their cards close to their chest, and will not say who their dentist is unless you ask directly. Most people will then be happy to answer a few questions like "is your dentist experienced or fresh out of school?, does he keep you waiting? are they always in a hurry? Is he/she cheap? Are they expensive? Do they have HICAPs to bill your health fund? Is there parking? Are they open Saturdays? Many times the person you are asking will simply not know the answers, as everybody has different priorities. Walkby, proximity, location,signage and appearance of frontage.
Sometimes we walk past a business everyday and don't notice it until we need it's services. If you don't have a dog, you will never look at that petshop on the way to work. One day you may get the urge to get a puppy and guess what? suddenly the petshop will appear in front of you. It is the same with dentists. If you chomped down too hard on some Muesli this morning, and part of your tooth broke off, your tongue can't stop playing with the sharp edge, and everywhere you look there are dentist signs. Maybe you just haven't been to the dentist for a long time and are doing your research. You could, and probably should use a combination of all these methods to find a dentist in Perth that is just right for you.
Once you have narrowed it down, you can call the potential dental offices in Perth, and ask a few questions.
Make notes about each, as it can be hard to remember later. After calling you can even go past and look in the window, or if you are feeeling brave go inside. Some people may walk past a dentist everyday, and will feel more comfortable phoning to ask any questions, to see if the dentist is Dr. Right! Picking up a brochure, checking out the website, asking around to see what the reputation is. Don't just phone and say "how much is a cleaning?" you will not get much to go on. By all means, if finances are your main concern you could ask a few questions about initial fees like xrays or exams, but be sure to compare "apples to apples" How many xrays? How long does the dentist take to do the exam? Do you want a 10 minute $30 exam, or a 60 minute $75 exam. Do you want the dentist himself to explain all his findings, or leave it up to the receptionist to tell you what it will take to acheive dental fitness? What is the philosophy of the office? Is it insurance driven?, walk-in emergency clinic?, wait your turn to get a tooth pulled?, hurry-em-up and get-em-out?, peaceful?, calm?, wholistic?, family/general dentistry or flashy cosmetic "yuppy" style? Preventive oriented or treatment driven?
"I am such a sook...my dentist sedates me every time I need a filling" If you are not scared of the dentist, this may not be the dentist for you either.
Some people play their cards close to their chest, and will not say who their dentist is unless you ask directly. Most people will then be happy to answer a few questions like "is your dentist experienced or fresh out of school?, does he keep you waiting? are they always in a hurry? Is he/she cheap? Are they expensive? Do they have HICAPs to bill your health fund? Is there parking? Are they open Saturdays? Many times the person you are asking will simply not know the answers, as everybody has different priorities. Walkby, proximity, location,signage and appearance of frontage.
Sometimes we walk past a business everyday and don't notice it until we need it's services. If you don't have a dog, you will never look at that petshop on the way to work. One day you may get the urge to get a puppy and guess what? suddenly the petshop will appear in front of you. It is the same with dentists. If you chomped down too hard on some Muesli this morning, and part of your tooth broke off, your tongue can't stop playing with the sharp edge, and everywhere you look there are dentist signs. Maybe you just haven't been to the dentist for a long time and are doing your research. You could, and probably should use a combination of all these methods to find a dentist in Perth that is just right for you.
Once you have narrowed it down, you can call the potential dental offices in Perth, and ask a few questions.
Make notes about each, as it can be hard to remember later. After calling you can even go past and look in the window, or if you are feeeling brave go inside. Some people may walk past a dentist everyday, and will feel more comfortable phoning to ask any questions, to see if the dentist is Dr. Right! Picking up a brochure, checking out the website, asking around to see what the reputation is. Don't just phone and say "how much is a cleaning?" you will not get much to go on. By all means, if finances are your main concern you could ask a few questions about initial fees like xrays or exams, but be sure to compare "apples to apples" How many xrays? How long does the dentist take to do the exam? Do you want a 10 minute $30 exam, or a 60 minute $75 exam. Do you want the dentist himself to explain all his findings, or leave it up to the receptionist to tell you what it will take to acheive dental fitness? What is the philosophy of the office? Is it insurance driven?, walk-in emergency clinic?, wait your turn to get a tooth pulled?, hurry-em-up and get-em-out?, peaceful?, calm?, wholistic?, family/general dentistry or flashy cosmetic "yuppy" style? Preventive oriented or treatment driven?
Yellow Pages Print edition - The big heavy doorstop of a book
Believe it or not this is still a popular way to find a dentist in Perth. Dentists will spend about $50 000 per year for a full page listing and about $38 000 for a half page. Even the smaller adverts will costs the dentist up to a few thousand dollars a month! Everybody has their own method of looking in the book. Some will look for the biggest advert, some for the smallest. Many people just use it to find something convenient and close to home, so they will find the location guide handy. If you found this website on Google then I can't imagine you even own a Yellow Pages book but prefer searching online. The online yellow pages is a fantastic resource and is easy to use...read on.
Yellow Pages online http://yellowpages.com.au/
Click the link and you will be transported to a whole new world.
If you click here you will be taken to one of my favourite methods for using the online yellow pages. The Map Based Search is easy to use and can be very intuitive once you get used to it. Enter "Dentists" under business type and then your address, location and state. Click search and you will have a zoomable map with flags and listings. You can click the links on the right for more information on each.
If you click here you will be taken to one of my favourite methods for using the online yellow pages. The Map Based Search is easy to use and can be very intuitive once you get used to it. Enter "Dentists" under business type and then your address, location and state. Click search and you will have a zoomable map with flags and listings. You can click the links on the right for more information on each.
White Pages Online (the book needs no explanation...just make sure it is the Business one and not the Residential!)
I have never been a big user of online White Pages but they have a new search method that is fantastic if you know more or less what you are looking for. (The dentist's last name or business name) If all you want is the phone number, address or a map it is very fast and has pinpoint accuracy...Bravo! Just start typing in the box and it seems to know right away what the answer is! Try it! Just click here and you will be taken to this new interface.
ADA - The Australian Dental Association website "Find a Dentist"
ADA.org will take you to the American Dental Association website and that is a little far to go if you are looking for a dentist in Perth! www.ada.org.au is the webiste you are looking for. If it is importatnt to you that your dentist be a member of the official professional organisation. The Australian Dental Association Inc is a national association of dentists committed to promoting the art, science and ethical practice of dentistry, improving the oral health of the community and enhancing the professional lives of its members. Over 90% of dentist in Australia are members, if you want one of the other 8-9% that for one reason or another don't belong then this is not the place for you. Quite prominent on the well designed site on the left side is a link to "Find a Dentist" you have to click "accept" to be taken to the search screen where you can fill in as many fields as you wish. If you only fill in your postal code you will get a handy list that will link you to further information on each. One minor flaw on the website is you can't click back to return to the list, you have to keep repeating the search. Also many dentists have not bothered to log on and supply the extra information that you may require. While you are here you may as well look at some of the other resouces especially the "Dental Health Week" brochures.
Your Dentist Website | Find a Dentist listing
This site often comes up very highly ranked in Google searches, and it can be useful, but it doesn't always work.
StartLocal dental directory
Somewhat useful site with all the suburbs neatly listed. Just click a suburb and you will get a fairly mixed result. What can be handy is some dentists that haven't bothered to have a proper website have volunteered information in a miniwebsite format with an overview.
