Choosing a Raleigh Dentist

I recently had a new patient share with me her somewhat unusual method for choosing a Raleigh dentist. The ADA actually provides some pretty helpful guidelines for the public [https://www.ada.org/public/topics/tips.asp], but those didn’t seem to be adequate for her – she never even looked at those.

Her criteria?

While she lived in her hometown, she went to the dentist her parents had chosen. That dentist happened to be a UNC School of Dentistry graduate, and also served as a part-time lecturer there. When she moved elsewhere, that dentist referred her to a dentist who practiced in her new location, but also lectured at UNC. He retired early, but sent her to a  young dentist who was a recent UNC School of Dentistry graduate and lecturer. So her dental provider selection criteria was finding a dentist who UNC had summoned back to teach and mentor future dentists.

How did you choose?

I met this person in a business operations context, and never realized I was being sized up as a “qualified” dental provider. I did think her question about whether I ever lectured at UNC was a little odd, but thought nothing of it at the time. Months later, she was knocking at my door to become her new Raleigh dentist. I never cease to be amazed at the criteria people use in choosing their dentists, other than just word of mouth. But I’m always interested in learning why new patients decide to come to RCCD, and how they heard about us.