Welcome to Johnson County. Once the boxes are unpacked, the boring-but-important grown-up errand starts: finding a new dentist for the whole family. Here's how we'd think about it if it were us moving in.
Start with location and hours
A dentist you'll actually go to is one that's a sane drive on a weekday morning or evening. Look at hours that match real life — early mornings, late afternoons, the occasional Friday. If the office has more than one location, even better; that's flexibility built in.
"Family dentist" should mean every age
A true family practice sees toddlers through grandparents under one roof. That matters more than it sounds. It means siblings can be booked back to back, parents and kids share one chart system, and the dentist you trust for your child's first cleaning is the same one handling your husband's crown next month. Fewer offices to remember, fewer referrals out the door.
Questions worth asking on the phone
- Do you take my insurance, and what does my plan typically cover?
- What does a first visit look like, and how long should I plan for?
- Do you see kids? At what age do you start?
- How do you handle dental anxiety or a patient who's been away from the dentist for a long time?
- What happens if I have an emergency on a weekend?
- Do you do most things in-house (crowns, implants, ortho, sleep appliances) or do you refer out?
You'll learn a lot from how those questions are answered — not just the answers themselves, but the tone behind them.
Read reviews like a real human
Don't worry about chasing a perfect star rating. Read a handful of recent reviews and look for patterns — how they treat anxious patients, how billing is handled, how they recover when something goes sideways. Those tell you more than a number.
Then go meet them
Honestly, this is the part that decides it. Walk in, look around, talk to whoever's at the front. A good office feels welcoming the second you step in; the wrong one feels off, and your gut knows.
We'd love to be on your shortlist
Take a peek at both of our offices on the locations page — Keene and Joshua are both genuine family practices, and we'd be honored to meet you when you're ready.