Buddy for finding a dentist
Tell me where you live and what your dental plan is called. I’ll find pediatric dentists nearby that list it, line them up, and tell you what to confirm when you call.
Two kids due for cleanings, and a family in Chico, California, three weeks after the moving truck left.
Tell me the town and the plan name. I’ll check each practice’s site and tell you what to confirm on the phone.
- Which of these is open on Saturdays?
- Look at my calendar for next week and find a few open times for a dentist appointment.
- What should I ask the front desk when I call?
- Today 4:20 PM
- You: can you find 3 pediatric dentists near us that take our insurance? we just moved to south chico and both kids are due for cleanings
- Buddy: Happy to. What’s the plan called on the card? Just the name, not the member number.
- You: it’s the PPO through my wife’s job, card just says Dental PPO
- Buddy: Got it. I’ll check each practice’s own site 🦷
- 4:31 PM
- Buddy: Three within 10 minutes of you. Little Acorn Pediatric Dentistry lists your plan and says it’s taking new patients.
- Buddy: Juniper Kids Dental lists PPO plans and has Saturday hours. Mill Creek Children’s Dentistry says to call about insurance.
- Buddy: A plan listed on a website isn’t a promise, so confirm it when you call. Here they are, with what to ask the front desk.
- Kids’ dentists near usPDF
- You: calling little acorn first thing tomorrow Buddy liked this.
Tell me where you live and what your dental plan is called. I’ll find pediatric dentists nearby that list it, line them up, and tell you what to confirm when you call.
From a new town to a first appointment
Tell me where, and what plan
Your town or neighborhood, the plan name on the card, and anything that matters, like Saturday hours. Keep member numbers out of chat.
I check each practice
I look at each office’s own site for the plans it lists, new patients, and hours, and send my sources with the comparison.
You call to confirm
A plan listed online can be out of date. I’ll give you the questions to ask, and you choose the office that fits.
More you can ask for
- Find three pediatric dentists near us that list our insurance.
- My son is scared of dentists. Do any of these offices say they work with nervous kids?
- Fill in Little Acorn’s new patient request form and let me check it before it goes.
- Find a dentist near my office with early morning hours.
- I cracked a tooth on vacation in Bend. Find a dentist there that lists same-day visits.
- Remind me six months from today to book the kids’ next cleanings.
What you get back
Three side by side
Distance, hours, whether each office lists your plan, and whether it says it’s taking new patients, with links to where I found it.
Research with sourcesWhat to ask on the phone
A short list for confirming your coverage, a first visit for each kid, and anything the office wants you to bring.
Times that fit your week
With a connected calendar, I can look at next week and find open times for the appointment.
Connect your calendarA list to keep
A PDF or a note with each office, what its site says about your plan, and what to ask when you call, so you aren’t searching again in six months.
Work with files
Kids’ dentists near us
- Little Acorn Pediatric Dentistry: lists your plan, taking new patients
- Juniper Kids Dental: lists PPO plans, Saturday hours
- Mill Creek Children’s Dentistry: call about insurance
- Do you take our Dental PPO?
- Can both kids come in for a first cleaning?
- What should we bring to the first visit?
A plan listed on a website isn’t a promise. Confirm it when you call.
Questions people ask
How does Buddy know a dentist takes our insurance?
He reads what each practice and other public pages say and shows you the sources. Listings can be out of date or incomplete, so call the office and confirm your plan before the visit.
Can he book the appointment?
He can draft a message, or fill in a practice’s online request form and leave it for you to review before it’s submitted. If the site needs a sign-in, he hands you his screen so you type it on the site yourself, never in chat.
Does he need our insurance card?
The plan name is usually enough to search. Keep member numbers out of chat. When a form asks for them, enter them on the website itself.
Is Buddy recommending one?
No. He compares what the offices publish. He isn’t a dentist and can’t judge the care, so which office fits your family is your call.
Will he remember the appointment?
He can remember an appointment you tell him about, but that doesn’t set a reminder or put it on your calendar. Ask for a reminder, or connect a calendar and ask him to add it.