Had to get a root canal recently, and man, finding the right specialist was way more stressful than the toothache itself, lol. Anyway, here's a tip that saved me some headaches: instead of just googling and picking the first one with decent reviews, I called up my regular dentist's office and asked who they'd personally go to if it were their tooth. Receptionist gave me a name right away, and honestly, best decision ever. The endodontist was chill, explained everything clearly, and made the whole thing way less scary.
Curious if anyone else has little tricks or hacks for picking dental specialists—like, do you trust online reviews more or word-of-mouth from friends/family? Or maybe something totally different I haven't thought of yet...
"Receptionist gave me a name right away, and honestly, best decision ever."
That's a smart move. I've found that personal recommendations from dental staff often carry more weight than online reviews. A few years back, I needed an implant specialist and initially relied on Google reviews—big mistake. The first specialist I visited had glowing reviews online but turned out to be rushed and dismissive during the consultation. Feeling uneasy, I asked my regular dentist for advice, and she recommended someone she'd personally seen herself. The difference was night and day: thorough explanations, patient with my questions, and genuinely empathetic about my anxiety.
Online reviews can be helpful, sure, but they're not always reliable indicators of bedside manner or genuine care. Dental staff usually have insider knowledge about who's truly skilled and compassionate. Glad your root canal went smoothly—it's always reassuring when you find someone who makes the experience less daunting.
Totally agree about online reviews being hit or miss. Had a similar experience myself—went to a dentist who had like a thousand 5-star ratings, and the guy barely looked up from his clipboard the whole appointment. Felt like I was interrupting his day, lol. Asked around at the office after that disaster, and turns out the best dentist was literally two blocks away... recommended by our receptionist too. Lesson learned: trust the front desk folks, they know what's up. Glad your root canal wasn't a nightmare!
