Google YOUR Dentist

It amazes me how far technology has come in the course of my lifetime. To think that I made it through my whole educational career without a cell phone and without the use of the internet is mind-boggling. I also never thought that my children would get to the point where I was asking them how to do things.
For many of us, technology consumes us. I spilled coffee on my cell phone this past weekend and spent the better part of a gorgeous day running around trying to replace it. I felt like I couldn’t live without it. Another morning this week my website was down and I could not post some new information on it. I panicked and spent over an hour on the phone with tech support trying to resolve the issue.
Technology is not going anywhere. In fact, it seems like it gets more and more complicated every day. I feel like I can’t keep up. Do we really need to keep up? I guess that depends on the individual.
One of the simplest forms of technology is the use of Google. You can Google anything and have an unlimited source of information instantly at your fingertips. However, just like listening to the news, it is up to the viewer to decide how to use the information. Much of the data we hear on the news or view on our computer is distorted somehow or other.
In my world, Google has replaced the phonebook. I can’t remember the last time I looked in a phonebook. Other than finding someone’s local phone number, the phonebook has very limited information. Today, if I am looking for a service and have not had a personal referral from someone I trust, I “Google it”. Even if I had a personal referral, I do my research on the computer.
Need a dentist? Google it!! As I have said in previous columns, a personal referral is usually the most reliable way to find a dentist, but just because your friend likes the dentist doesn’t necessarily mean you will. Do your own research. Most dentists have a website. You can learn a lot from a website and it is just that much more information to help you make your decision.
One of the more recent additions to the digital world is the use of reviews. Reviews are comments written by individuals on various products and services. Google has its own review system and there are many more out there including Yelp, Trip Advisor, Citysearch and AngiesList. Although reviews can be helpful, they should be used to get a flavor of what other people are saying about a product or service. Every product or service should have good and bad reviews: that is reality.
In the dental world, many dentists, including myself, use a service to collect reviews from patients. In my office, an e-mail is automatically generated and sent after appointments. It gives people the option of writing a review about their appointment or our office. These reviews are then published to the web as well as evaluated by my staff to help improve the service we provide.
No matter what you are looking for, there are people out there in cyberspace who have commented on it. Take them for what they are worth, but I think they are helpful.