Looking for the Right Dentist? How This Rating Tool Can Help You

Let’s say you’re new in town or your old dentist retired—how do you find a new dentist? And how do you know they are right for you?

You may check with your co-workers or ask on Facebook for recommendations. But the feedback, “Oh, my dentist is fabulous,” what does that mean to you?

Here is an objective tool to help you out: DentaQual®.

What is DentaQual?

DentaQual is a rating system to score dentists who are participating providers in the Delta Dental PPO or Premier Networks. (What’s a network provider?) It assigns scores on a 5-star scale based on submitted claims data. DentaQual compares each provider’s score to the average score of their peers in the same specialty and geography to generate an overall quality rating. The score is updated monthly. 

Delta Dental of Arkansas started subscribing to DentaQual in July 2022 and making the information available in our online Find-A-Dentist tool. 

How Do You Use DentaQual?

To check the DentaQual ratings of a particular dentist, this is what you do:

1. Go to the Find-A-Dentist tool on our website. Click here for a direct link or access it manually at deltadentalar.com, then click on “Members” on the green ribbon and then on “Find A Doctor” -> ”Find A Dentist.” 
2. You’ll connect to another site that asks you to provide some basic information.
3. Ignore the specialty and network drop-down boxes for now.
4. Type in the dentist’s last name as directed.
5. Select “yes” for current location or “no” and type in your ZIP code or address.
6. Click “find dentists.”

The next screen will show you the

• dentist’s full name,
• name, address and phone number of the dental practice, with hyperlinks to a map and directions,
• their plan network participation,
• new patient acceptance status and
• their DentaQual star rating. Click on it for a detailed breakdown of the dentist’s score. There you have it.

“No Dentist Found Within the Search Criteria?”

If your search yields this response, “No dentist found within the search criteria,” try these steps:

• Double-check the spelling of the dentist’s name.
• Correct the location information if necessary.
• Select a different dental plan from the drop-down box next to “participating in.” Not all dentists participate in all Delta Dental networks, so you may have to try multiple networks to find the dentist you’re looking for.
• Click “submit” to search again.

If none of these steps work, this particular dentist may not be part of the Delta Dental of Arkansas networks. They won’t have a DentaQual score and will be considered “out-of-network dental providers.” 

Let’s go back to DentaQual scores.

What Do the DentaQual Scores Mean?

DentaQual scores are based on 5 different measures:

1. Treatment outcomes. Measures a dentist’s treatment success rate, including the likelihood of repeat procedures and post-treatment problems.
2. Commitment to best practices. Evaluates how well a dentist follows established dental standards and treatment methods, including the sequence of prescribed care.
3. Cost-effectiveness. Compares the types and number of prescribed treatments as well as the average cost per patient for submitted dental fees and treatments.
4. Patient retention. Evaluates the degree of patient retention and loyalty as well as active sanctions, if any.
5. Treatment recommendations. Compares how a dentist recommends treatments in relation to other dentists in their ZIP Code and specialty.

We hope you will find DentaQual a useful tool that helps you feel confident about choosing your dentist.

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