How to choose a dentist: checking registers, questions for your first visit and reading reviews

How do you check that a dentist is licensed to practise?

You can check a dentist’s licence in the Central Register of Doctors and Dentists, made available online by Naczelna Izba Lekarska (the Supreme Medical Chamber) at rejestr.nil.org.pl. Enter their first name and surname or professional licence number (PWZ), and the register shows their registration status and specialties.

According to pacjent.gov.pl, you can make the same check in the mojeIKP app using “Zweryfikuj pracownika medycznego” (verify a healthcare professional). A PWZ number has 7 digits and does not indicate whether its holder is a doctor or a dentist. The article on whether a dentist is a doctor explains the profession and titles in more detail.

How do you check a practice in the healthcare provider register?

You can check a practice in Rejestr Podmiotów Wykonujących Działalność Leczniczą (RPWDL), Poland’s register of healthcare providers, at rpwdl.ezdrowie.gov.pl. The Act on medical activity states that the register is public (art. 106 ust. 1a). Entries include the name, treatment site address, type of activity and scope of services (art. 100 ust. 1).

Different authorities maintain the register. Healthcare entities, such as clinics and outpatient centres, are registered by the regional governor responsible for their registered office, the Podlaskie governor in Białystok’s case. Individual professional practices of doctors and dentists are registered by the regional medical council responsible for the practice location (art. 106 ust. 1, legal status as of 24 October 2026).

If you want treatment free of charge, also check whether the practice has a contract with NFZ, Poland’s National Health Fund, in the “Gdzie się leczyć” (where to get treatment) search tool. The article on NFZ dentists explains how to do this in Białystok.

A checklist: what to check when choosing a dentist, and where

A checklist for choosing a dentist combines public register information with what you see at the first appointment. None of these points predicts your treatment outcome, but together they show whether the practice operates legally, transparently and in line with patient rights.

A specialist or a general dentist: when does it matter?

Specialist training matters for treatment beyond everyday dentistry, such as a malocclusion, advanced periodontal disease (periodontitis) or a difficult surgical procedure. The Polish list includes 9 dental specialties, among them orthodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, paediatric dentistry and restorative dentistry with endodontics.

Implantology, cosmetic dentistry and endodontics alone are not separate specialties on this list. If a practice uses these terms, ask who specifically will provide your treatment and check their details in the Central Register of Doctors.

Does the practice request X-rays appropriately?

Dental X-rays are needed when the result could change the diagnosis or treatment plan, rather than as a routine part of every appointment. For root canal treatment, the 2025 update of the joint position statement of the American endodontic and oral radiology societies (AAE and AAOMR) recommends choosing imaging according to clinical indications, existing images and the individual patient’s needs. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is used selectively, when indicated, not routinely or for screening.

The dose depends on the equipment, its settings and the field of view. The European Commission’s Radiation Protection 172 report (2012) gives less than 1.5 µSv for a single intraoral X-ray taken with rectangular collimation on a phosphor plate or F-speed film, and 2.7 to 24.3 µSv for a panoramic X-ray. With round collimation, the intraoral dose in those studies was almost five times higher. For small or medium field-of-view CBCT in adults, the report gives 11 to 674 µSv, with a median of 61 µSv.

Ask why the dentist proposes a particular image and where it will be taken. Bring recent X-rays from another practice if you have them, as they may be sufficient for assessment. The dentist decides whether a new image is needed.

What should you look for at your first dental appointment?

The first appointment shows how a practice works: whether the dentist asks about medical conditions and medicines, examines teeth, gums and oral lining, and requests X-rays when needed. The Patient Rights Act entitles you to understandable information on the diagnosis, proposed and possible treatments and the consequences of having or declining them (art. 9 ust. 2).

You give consent after receiving this information. For surgery or a method carrying increased risk, consent must be written (art. 16 i art. 18 ust. 1). A written plan, with the order of treatment stages and the price of each, is good practice. Questions to ask include:

• What is the diagnosis, and what will happen if I postpone treatment?
• What are the treatment options, and how do they differ in longevity, number of appointments and cost?
• Who will carry out my treatment, and which specialties do they hold?
• Do I need X-rays or a CT scan, and where will they be taken?
• How will anaesthesia be provided, and can I ask for a break at any time?
• How does the practice sterilise instruments, and which materials are single-use?
• Will I receive copies of my X-rays and records if I need them?

How should you read online reviews of dentists?

Online dental reviews are best treated as an indication of organisation and communication rather than a prediction of your treatment outcome. Every case differs, and a practice generally cannot reply with treatment details, because dentists must keep patient-related information confidential (art. 40 ust. 1 of the Act on the professions of doctor and dentist).

The law protects against fake reviews. The Act on counteracting unfair commercial practices requires businesses displaying consumer reviews to explain whether and how they ensure that reviewers have used the service (art. 6 ust. 4 pkt 7). Posting false reviews or distorting them to promote services is prohibited (art. 7 pkt 26).

Look for specific recurring themes, such as clear explanations, punctuality and transparent pricing. A single very positive or very negative review tells you little, and promises of results in reviews should not be treated as medical information.

What are your rights at the dentist, and where can you raise concerns?

At the dentist, you have the right to information, to give or refuse consent, and to access your medical records and obtain copies. The first copy covering the requested information is free (art. 28 ust. 2a of the Patient Rights Act). Raise concerns with the practice first, preferably in writing, describing the situation and the resolution you seek.

Rzecznik Praw Pacjenta (Poland’s Patient Ombudsman) helps with patient rights issues and can be reached on 800 190 590. Matters of dentists’ professional responsibility are handled by the regional professional responsibility officer. For the medical chamber in Białystok, the office is at ul. Świętojańska 7, room 103, tel. 85 732 19 35 (as of 24 October 2026). A separate article explains patient rights in more detail.

How it works at DentalBlue

DentalBlue (Dentalblue Wawrzyn, ul. Kazimierza Pułaskiego 35, Białystok, NIP 5423458246, REGON 523549592) is a healthcare entity, and these details can be compared with its RPWDL entry. The clinical team comprises dentists, dental assistants and hygienists. The clinic has its own anaesthesiology department with two anaesthesiologists and anaesthetic nurses, as well as its own radiology unit offering CBCT, panoramic X-rays, cephalometry, sinus X-rays and intraoral X-rays. “Wizyta bez bólu” (visit without pain, 300 zł) ends with a written treatment plan showing the price of each stage. Prices may change. Communication is available in Polish, English, Ukrainian and Russian.