There are really three things you want to look at when you are choosing your new Dentist-
1.) Continuing Education:
The dental school that the dentist went to is of some importance -whether it was UCLA, or USC or Harvard is not the most important fact. What really matters is what the dentist did once they graduated from dental school. There are a few types of Continuing Education Courses that are acceptable - Lecture courses, study club courses, and hands on courses. So what I would do is sit down with your prospective dentist and see what kind of Continuing Education Courses they have been doing. Just ask them - "Tell me what type of courses have you been taking since graduating from dental school and what kind of dentistry are you interested in?" This will be very valuable answer in choosing the right dentist for you.
2.) Proof in Pictures:
The second thing I would want to see is proof! Any dentist can purchase a book or binder with many different before and after photographs. But you want to make sure that what you are looking at is their work - their real patients that have had the same treatments you are looking into having done. So you want to make sure the dentist you are seeing is taking pictures of his/her own work. Every picture they have will have a story behind it and ask for these dental stories.
3.) Patient Testimonials and Referrals:
If you are thinking of having a lot of treatment done - you will want to talk with some of the dentist's patients that have been through different treatments. They should be able to furnish you with names and numbers of patients willing to talk with you about their treatment and their experience.
So if you are looking for a new dentist - these are the three most important things to look for:
Continuing Education
Proof of their Work
Patient Testimonials
If you do these three things - you will find the right dentist!