Back in 2012, the Time magazine published an insightful story titled “9 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Trust Online Reviews.” The story contains several shocking revelations. It cites research from the researchers at Cornell University who discovered that algorithms are better at detecting spam than people. Time reports that while software can red flag fake reviews 90 percent of the time, people can only do it 50 percent of the time. It means that if you are reading a review online and the review is a fake, there are only 50 percent changes that you will spot its fakeness.
While you cannot forget online reviews
forever, there are ways to figure out if what you are paying for a product or
service is worth it, or not. You need these skills especially if you are in
need of dental services.
Reading online reviews to decide if a
dentist is the right fit for your needs is like giving anonymous people the
right to make your life’s most important decisions. What I am trying to get at
is that while there is no harm is reading online reviews, you put your health
in jeopardy if you rely on them alone.
In the field of dentistry, there are some
excellent alternatives to anonymous online reviews to find out if a dentist has
the right qualifications for your needs. In this blog, you will read about the
two of them.
Website
Explore the website of the dentist you
plan to see in as much detail as you can. If it does not mention the physical
address, a phone number, a FAX and the dentist’s qualifications, it is probably
a fake. A reputed dentist will never have a website not mention these essential
pieces of information. For instance, in Halifax, where I live, the most reputed
and trusted dental practice belongs to Dr. Daniel Daniel, whose website has all
this information listed and easily accessible. There are multiple ways of
contacting their office too.
Physical Visit
There is no way you can correctly
appraise a dental practice on the basis on the website alone. You need to visit
the place physically. Let me share with you a real-life incident here. I did
not expect Daniel Daniel dentistry to be any different from numerous other
practices when I saw the website. But on my first visit to the office, I was
enthralled by the warm welcome I received from staff and the high-end equipment
I witnessed. It was a spa-like environment and I felt very at ease and never
pressured.
I will sum up by saying that while online
reviews are helpful, never rely solely on them, especially if you are going to
see a dentist. Visit the website and the dental practice before announcing your
verdict.
