First and foremost, when you are calling the dentist office make the appointment, bad customer service is a tell-tale sign of an all around bad experience. Maybe the person who is answering the phone knows nothing about dentistry, but if it is clear that she hates her job, this is not an environment in which you wish to find yourself in the venerable dental exam chair position. The doctor in that office is the receptionist's boss, and if that relationship is not a good one, you do not want to take your chances, and furthermore, a dentist who does not seem to care about the representation that he or she is receiving form the front office staff is not a person you want wielding sharp instruments inside of your mouth.

If the staff seems friendly enough and eager to help, inquire about appointment availability. Another sign that your experience may not be great is if an appointment is hard to come by. This may seem to indicate that the office is a sought after one, but the truth may be looming. No matter how good an overbooked doctor is, you just will not be getting the treatment and attention you need if you are among too many simultaneous appointments. Overbooking has likely worn down the bedside manner of the doctor and the staff, and though he may be well qualified to do the work at hand, your comfort and experience should be first and foremost. You will not get quality time with an overworked, overbook office.

The dentist office staff with whom you speak over the phone should be courteous and aim to make your future experience smooth. They should inquire about your insurance taking as much pertinent information as possible in the initial phone call in order to save you time in the waiting room the day of your appointment, and if they do not offer it to you first, inquire about having new patient paper work sent to your home ahead of time. Filling out that mountain of paperwork in the waiting room on the day of your appointment is not necessary, and they should be willing to accommodate you.

In an effort to clarify what kind of payment will be expected from you, the staff should be willing to do some insurance research on your behalf. You do not want to take off work or take the kids out of school and show up at the dentist office just to be told that your insurance is not in the network. If the office staff is not willing to look this up ahead of time, do not book with them.