I believe selecting a medical provider was a lot easier in the past. This was due to the fact there were less providers and access to information was limited. For my parents they took me to the closest dentist or physician to our home that happened to be contracted with our insurance company. Whatever our family physician or dentist recommended my parents and family accepted and had that treatment completed. Today, I believe things are a lot different and that is due to the overflowing amount of information. Not only do we have access to all kinds of information about the provider including: where they graduated from, Facebook friends, reviews, area of expertise, locations they practice and contracted insurance but we also can research their treatment suggestions by a few keystrokes. Information can lead us to make more informed decisions and be better educated for our treatments but all this information can lead to confusion and difficulty to find a provider you can trust. As I have been searching for a primary care physician I realize how difficult it is to search through the information to find relevant information to make a great decision. I am writing this blog to show you what I look for to find a great medical provider for my family and myself.

1. Ask your friends and family. I think most people will not allow you to go see their dentist or physician if they have had a bad or average experience. At the same time be careful which friends or family members you ask. As you know we are not all created equal and some love every person they meet and others hate every single human on this planet. Since my family is not from Arizona let alone Chandler we have a harder time seeking referrals from friends and family so we rely a little more on point #2.
2. There are so many review websites. Not all of them are equal. Some websites do not require accounts and the providers and their employees can write their own reviews which could be posted. This was the case for Healthgrades, Yahoo, City search and a few others. I know a few of them have tightened up and have made it a little more difficult to leave reviews as an anonymous poster. There are 3 sites that can be trusted a little more. Google, Yelp, and Facebook. For the most part these sites require a log in and your personal information to start leaving reviews. They are not 100% accurate and competitors and employees can still leave fake reviews but most of them are real. What I have found is that it’s easy for some offices to fake 1 or 2 reviews but it is almost impossible for the office to have more than 20 reviews that are fake. So the more the merrier when it comes to reviews.
3. Experience/time as a provider. This one is a little tricker than you might think. I feel like with some, a lot of experience or age of the provider brings wonderful skill and wisdom to their practices and patients. Although there are some providers that get stuck in a rut and do not want to learn new technology or learn new better techniques. Although I would be hesitant and avoid trusting a student or new graduate, I also would be cautious just going to a physician or dentist because they ‘look’ or are older.
4. Technology. In dentistry there is zero reason for offices to not have digital radiographs (x-rays). Digital x-rays lowers radiation and helps diagnose disease once not evident with the old x-rays systems. Also, with digital x-rays your provider will be able to show you what they see instead of just trusting what they are saying. In dentistry, technology has changed our game. Dentistry is a lot more comfortable and convenient because of the updates in our technology. We are able to show our patients what we see, make 3D x-rays, and same day crowns. We can make implants guides digitally to make placing implants more accurate, etc… Because my office offers new technology and updated techniques I look for that in my search for physicians.
5. Ease to make appointments. My time, like yours, is very limited outside work. So when I call a physicians office I expect to get in soon. Our office makes getting in to see our providers as convenient as possible including before work hours and after work hours. The last thing I want to do is wait 1 or 2 weeks to see my physician so we don’t allow this in my office. For emergencies, we will see you the same day. For cleanings we typically can get you in the same day or next day.

I know how difficult it is to try to find trustworthy providers. At Chandler Dental I do my best to have a team that makes the experience as good as it can be. We spend countless hours in training trying to improve the experience for our patients. Give my office a call and your search for a dental office will end. Call us today at 480-341-0095.

Sincerely,
Chase D. Davis DDS

How can I choose a Chandler dentist or medical provider?