The bar, written down.

Dentistry's Best exists because the question "who is the best dentist near me" is answered badly almost everywhere. Review sites measure how a practice made someone feel, which is worth something but is not a measure of clinical judgment. Directories sort by who is nearest or who claimed a profile. Neither can tell you whether the person about to place six implants in your upper jaw has done it before.

So we do the one thing those approaches skip: we check the record. Every listing here has been measured against the criteria below, with licensure and standing verified directly with the state dental board.

What we measure

Credentials and licensure. Verified directly with the state board. Active license, confirmed standing, and any disciplinary history disclosed and explained. A disclosed issue doesn't automatically disqualify a nomination; an undisclosed one does.

Continuing education. Documented training beyond the state minimum, in the specific procedures being nominated for. Courses taught count as much as courses attended.

Patient history. Reviewed internally, never published, never used to order the directory. It exists so a reviewer sees the whole picture rather than the flattering half.

Documented clinical work. Real cases with before and after imagery, published only with written patient authorization on file.

What we refuse to do

We don't pretend to be comprehensive. Fifty of the fifty cities we track have nobody listed. Those pages say so plainly instead of filling up with practices we haven't reviewed. An empty page is the honest answer, and it's also the thing most likely to bring us a nomination.

We don't list a dentist for work they don't do. A listing names only the procedures that dentist was specifically reviewed for. Being excellent at clear aligners earns you nothing on the implant pages.

We don't guarantee outcomes. Clearing our criteria tells you a dentist's record stands up to scrutiny. It is not a warranty, and no listing here should be read as one.