There are many things that are true and typical in the UK; if it is going to rain it will do so on the school run, we always moan about the weather, we’ll always have at least one quirky royal (I’m still in awe of Charlie and his plant-chatting antics) and moaning about getting a dentist appointment is a common pastime.
The latter for many however has slipped off the list recently with the Toothpick service changing the way that people can search for a dentist. This tool will, instead of having you gnashing your teeth, have you smiling as not only may you find details of local dentists, you will also find reviews about them.
Searching couldn’t be easier on this fresh and clean user-friendly site as you simply choose what service you are looking for (for example an emergency appointment, a general appoint / consultation, you have toothache, you want to see a hygienist or talk about teeth straightening…), then you choose your area by postcode.
Your results are clearly displayed, offering a number of choices near to you, a map, review information for each and it is easy to tailor your search further.
Just to show you how the site works I’ve chosen to find an emergency dentist in London (given that quite a few of my readers come from down that way). I’ve altered my search to look for private rather than NHS dentists and I want one who treats children and who are experienced in dealing with nervous patients.
And voila….
I’m really quite tickled by how easy this site is to use, especially given how many times a week I see someone on social media asking about dental recommendations, where to go in a certain area, who is good etc. This type of tool takes all of the “bumf” out of the search so that unlike when you use a search engine to find this information you don’t have to trawl through pages of advertisements and have to search site after site to see what is on offer, then other sites to check reviews and recommendations.
This is the perfect example of how we should be able to search for our health care providers in 2014 and I hope this format is taken up by professionals in other sectors. If you’ve struggled to find a dentist in the past do you feel this type of tool would be useful? I can’t imagine spending time surfing the internet fruitlessly for information when your face in on fire and your cheek feels the size of a melon is much fun.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Now, I wonder if Toothpick could be encouraged to do something about the way our GP appointment system works………