Some people are so frightened of the dentist that they avoid having any work done. Too often, these same people go to the dentist only when they have a dental emergency , which often has much larger symptoms and requires significantly more work. The following are five factors you should consider before choosing a new dentist. Is this provider in your dental insurance network? A good place to start is asking your insurance provider if the dentist that you are thinking of switching to is in their network. If the answer is no, then it's likely not a good fit for you. Are you looking for a functional dentist? You should ask the dentist if they are a functional dentist. They will be able to tell you what they mean by that and whether or not they know about your health issues. The functional dentist is a more in-depth type of dentist who won't mind taking extra time to ask you questions about your entire health history, dental needs, and other related things when it comes to th...