Fortunately, there are many more people moving to our beautiful area of Florida than are moving away. This is good for all of us. At the same time, we do have patients leave us from time-to-time. Just last week, a patient’s question about how to find a great dentist in Jacksonville got me thinking. What questions would I ask if I was looking for a dentist who provides the same level of quality and service we strive to provide here at Pelican Landing Dental?
Are Your Dentists Passionate about Their Work?
Here in our office in Bonita Springs, we have assembled a group of dentists who genuinely find satisfaction in building trusting relationships with our patients and have a strong passion for helping others. At Pelican Landing Dental, we have multiple providers in one location because we share the same dedication to serving our patients and changing lives for the better. Because we have a team of dentists, we can each develop deeper levels of expertise in topics of interest. For example, Dr. Lacy truly enjoys smile makeovers. As a result, she has taken a number of extra, hands-on courses involving porcelain veneers and direct bonding.
Multiple dentists also mean multiple hygienists. This allows us to see multiple patients at the same time. In fact, it is not uncommon for two or three family members to be getting their checkup and cleaning at the same time – without multiple visits or any extra time waiting. As a result, we are able to truly get to know everyone in the family! The same-day appointments required with emergency dentistry are also more available when there are multiple doctors at a practice.
Do You Have In-House Specialists?
On-site specialists make your life easier – especially when you are trying to find your bearings in a completely new city. In a larger practice, we can afford to have someone like Dr. Binns on our team. As a prosthodontist, he is a true expert in cases involving dental implants and other advanced treatments. This means we can save you time and money by not having to refer you to an outside specialist.
In addition to having full-time, in-house specialists, many practices hand-select other specialists to work on-site a few days per month. This is a big benefit as well. Along with the positives of a team approach (discussed above), this approach makes treatments like orthodontics and gum disease therapy much easier to integrate into your busy lifestyle.
Do They Welcome Dental Insurance?
With about 50% of the United States population having some form of dental insurance, this is a great question to ask. Some practices will be in-network with certain dental insurance plans. At the same time, many practices welcome insurance plans – even when they are not an in-network partner.
This is what we do here at Pelican Landing, and it allows us to offer the best of both worlds. Our treatment plans and recommendations are not dictated by insurance limits. At the same time, our team works closely with your insurance company and helps you receive the maximum allowable benefits. Your dental insurance helps you pay for the high-quality care you expect.
Just Ask
With these three questions in mind, you should be on your way to finding another great dental practice in almost any other city. Of course, you might be able to avoid having to do any research just by asking us. As you can imagine, we have friends and dental school classmates across the country. In some cases, we know these dentists very well, trust them, and are happy to make a referral. For example, two of our best friends – Dr. Ryan Johnson and his wife, Dr. Rose Johnson – are amazing dentists in Jacksonville. We were happy to refer our patient last week to them, and we know their smiles will be in great hands.
About the Author
After growing up in Fort Lauderdale where he graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Dr. Rich Gilbert earned an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Florida. Subsequently, he earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (also from UF) before starting his dental career in Jacksonville. Since dental school, Dr. Gilbert has received his Fellowship in Implant Dentistry along with Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry. Personally, Dr. Rich enjoys spending time with his beautiful family, and his favorite activities include fishing, diving and skiing.
