# How to find a dentist?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742 "2006-08-22T13:48:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742/1 "2006-08-22T13:48:34Z")

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Okay, confession time: I haven’t been to a dentist in ten years. I’ve never had many dentisty problems in life. However, I now have a toothache. ☹ It’s time to find a dentist. The trouble is that I have absolutely no memory or records of the one I went to before. So, how to find a new one??? Is there a guide somewhere? An online rating? How about a holistic dentist? All advice appreciated!!

Anise

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**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742/2 "2006-08-22T13:52:05Z")

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You can always search the [American Dental Association](http://www.ada.org/public/directory/index.asp) official page.

If you have dental insurance, you can just call your agent also. I hope your tooth feels better.

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742/3 "2006-08-22T14:30:08Z")

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Call an oral surgeon and ask for the name of their dentist. Oral surgeons see the work of every dentist in town, and know who is the best.

Ask a friend if they go to a dentist regularly. If so, get their recommendation.

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**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742/4 "2006-08-22T14:36:18Z")

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Also you can hit the website of your insurance company and they usually have a list of providers.

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**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742/5 "2006-08-22T15:30:12Z")

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[1-800-DENTIST](http://www.1800dentist.com/)

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-a-dentist/369742/6 "2006-08-22T17:49:40Z")

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[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas]  
Ask a friend if they go to a dentist regularly. If so, get their recommendation.  
[/QUOTE]  
This would be my advice. Check with your friends and see if any is particularly fond of his/her dentist. Get names and numbers for the dentists who have done good jobs on your friends and check them out.