How Do You Know If a Dentist Is Good?

By Amber-Lee, IRDH16 Years Experience

~24 sec watchVideo FAQ

Vertical video optimized for mobile viewing.

Quick Answer

Start with the licence. In New Brunswick, dentists are listed in the New Brunswick Dental Society's public directory and dental hygienists in the New Brunswick College of Dental Hygienists' directory, and both can be searched by name. Then judge what you can see: a clean office, friendly staff, a practitioner who takes time to explain, and what reviews describe.

More about booking a teeth cleaning in Riverview.

Answered by the team at Bright White Dental Hygiene Clinic in Riverview, NB, serving Moncton and Dieppe.

Key Takeaways

1Search the name on the provincial directory before you book. It is free and takes a minute.
2A clean, well-kept office and friendly staff are the first things Amber-Lee looks for herself.
3A good dentist sits with you and explains. Feeling rushed is the warning sign.

Book Online Now Call (506) 871-5868

Video Transcript: How Do You Know If a Dentist Is Good?

Full transcript of the video answer on how to know if a dentist is good, given by Amber-Lee, IRDH, at Bright White Dental Hygiene Clinic in Riverview, NB, serving Moncton and Dieppe.

Question: How Do You Know If a Dentist Is Good?

“If you want to make sure that your dentist or your dental hygienist is reputable, you can always check on the provincial colleges, so on the New Brunswick Dental Association and the New Brunswick Dental Hygiene College. As practitioners, we are licensed, and you can go on and search our names to check whether or not we're reputable. You also want to make sure that the office is clean and that they're friendly, and maybe check out some of their reviews.”

How to Check a Licence in New Brunswick

Two regulators keep public lists. Dentists are licensed by the New Brunswick Dental Society, whose Find Your Dentist directory is linked from nbdent.ca. Dental hygienists are licensed by the New Brunswick College of Dental Hygienists, whose member directory is linked from nbcdh.ca. Both let you search by name.

If a name does not come up, ask the office about it before you book. A dental hygienist who runs her own clinic, as Amber-Lee does, is on the same register as one who works in a dentist's office.

What Amber-Lee Checks When She Picks a Dentist

After 16 years inside dental offices, Amber-Lee looks at whether the space is clean and well taken care of, whether the staff are friendly, and whether the dentist sits down, talks with you and explains what they see. Her warning sign is walking into the room and feeling rushed, as if there is not enough time for your questions.

That last point is the one most people skip. A dentist who explains what they found, and why, is also one who cares about your overall health and not just the tooth in front of them.

What Reviews Can and Cannot Tell You

Reviews tell you how people felt: how the front desk treated them, how long they waited, how an anxious patient was handled. They cannot tell you whether the clinical work was right. That is what the licence check is for, so do both.

When You Need a Dentist Today, Not a Good One Someday

If you have pain, swelling or a broken tooth, call a dentist's office directly and ask who can see you soonest. Bright White is a dental hygiene clinic: cleanings, hygiene exams, x-rays and whitening. When a cavity or infection needs a dentist, we refer you to one.

More From Amber-Lee on This

A related answer from Amber-Lee, with every word she says.

How I Pick a Dentist After 16 Years Inside Dental Offices

Amber-Lee looks for a clean, well-kept office, friendly staff, and a dentist who sits with you, explains, and cares about your overall health instead of rushing you.

Every word, 22 seconds

“I worked at a dental office for 16 years, and here's how I pick one. I like to make sure that the area looks clean and well taken care of, that the staff is friendly. Sometimes when you go into a room with a dentist, you feel rushed and that you don't have enough time. But a dentist that really sits with you and talks to you and explains something to you, and cares about your overall health.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions people search right after this one.

Confirm they are licensed on the New Brunswick Dental Society's public directory, then look at the visit itself: a clean office, friendly staff, and a dentist who takes the time to explain what they see instead of rushing you.

Ask people you trust who they see, check each name on the provincial directory, then read recent reviews for how patients were treated. Book a first visit and notice whether you were listened to.

Use the member directory linked from the New Brunswick College of Dental Hygienists' website, nbcdh.ca, and search the hygienist's name. Every hygienist practising in the province has to be registered with the College.

Bright White Dental Hygiene Clinic is at 391 Coverdale Rd in Riverview, a short drive from Moncton. You can book a cleaning, hygiene exam or whitening directly with no referral, and we direct bill insurance and the Canadian Dental Care Plan.