Welcome to ZocDoc Help

ZocDoc is your way to find a dentist or doctor online and make appointments instantly. You can easily filter doctors and dentists by location and insurance, read reviews by other patients, leave your own doctor rating or find out where a doctor went to school.

This online help is designed to help you make the most of ZocDoc. Please choose one of the topics below to get started or enter your search terms in the search box.

 

If you are a Patient, you may want to ...	If you are a Doctor, you may want to ...
Go to the ZocDoc Dentist Directory See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Find a Dentist by Location Find a Dentist by Insurance Find a Dentist with convenient Times Find a Dentist specialized in a specific Procedure	Join ZocDoc Log in to your ZocDoc account Learn more about ZocDoc Get technical help

How does ZocDoc make money?

ZocDoc is completely free for patients.

We charge our participating dentists and doctors a fee. However, we do not allow them to pay for preferred placement on ZocDoc - the information is always selected and prioritized with the patient's interest in mind. We believe that this professional approach - like your doctor, who will not perform unnecessary procedures just to make money - will help us build a profitable and lasting service in the long run.

ZocDoc does not accept advertising.

Find Dentists Specialized in a Specific Procedure

Not all dentists offer all procedures, and some have particular specializations. ZocDoc allows you to filter dentists by procedure and subspecialty.

 

Step 1: Select the Procedure You Want

In the box "Narrow search by specialty", make sure you have "Dentist" in the top box. The bottom box may say "Regular Cleaning" or "Patient Consultation" (other entries can be pre-selected for you as well).

Now select the kind of procedure you want in the bottom drop down list. You have the following choices:

Regular cleaning	This is just a removal of dental  plaques and other residues that is recommended twice a year. This procedure is frequently not performed by the dentist herself; even though you will see and "book" with a dentist, the procedure may be performed by a hygienist. If this is your first visit to a dental office, the dentist will often want to see you to make sure that no condition requiring her care is overlooked.
Patient consultation	This is ideal if you see the dentist for the first time or you don't know exactly what the problem is. If you are in doubt, choose this.
Emergency visit	If you are in pain, have broken a tooth or have any other condition that requires immediate attention, pick this. It signals to the dentist office that they need to handle your appointment with priority.
Filling	If you know you have a cavity or lost a filling, or if you want to have mercury/amalgam fillings removed.
Root Canal	When another doctor has already diagnosed you as requiring a root canal, or if you want to filter for dentists who can perform a root canal if required, select this option.
Tooth Whitening	If you want to have a professional, in-office tooth whitening procedure, this let's you filter for dentists who have the necessary equipment and skills.
Crown and Bridge	If you require a dental crown or bridge, pick this option. Typically, dentists will want to see you for a general consultation first, but you can filter by this option to ensure the dentist you choose offers this procedure.
Implant	Implants are involved procedures that are not offered by every dentist. If you think you may need an implant, you should filter for this procedure.
Dentures	If you require dentures, you can let the dentist know ahead of time by picking this option. There are several different types of dentures, and dentists who offer this option signal that they are equipped to help you with the right choice and fit the denture for you.
Invisalign	Invisalign is a new product that allows (adult) patients to improve the position of their teeth, very similar to braces that are typically worn in adolescence. They have the advantage of being transparent and cosmetically more pleasing than braces. Only your dentist can advise you whether Invisalign or braces are better for you. Dentists who are available for Invisalign procedures have gone through a special certification process.
Veneers	Veneers are thin ceramic layers that are attached to your teeth for cosmetic purposes. Sometimes the trademarked term "Lumineers" is used (they serve the same purpose). Typically, dentists with a cosmetic focus will offer this procedure.
Gum Surgery	Simple gum surgery is performed by many general dentists. Specialized dentists are called "Periodontists." You can look for that subspecialty in their profiles.
Braces and Retainers	Braces are typically fit by orthodontists. You can pre-select this specialty by filtering for braces. You can also see if a dentist has a orthodontic subspecialty by clicking on her picture/going to their profile page.

Find a Dentist with Convenient Times

One of ZocDoc's goals is it to make finding and booking a dentist convenient for you. Many of our users did not know that appointments with experienced, well-trained dentists are available at times that are most convenient to them. Many dentists offer

• Saturday appointments
• Sunday appointments
• Appointments late at night (up to 9 pm)
• Appointments early in the morning (starting at 7 am)
• Last-Minute Appointments

To find an appointment that works for you, follow these steps:

 

Step 1: Select the earliest Day that works for You

Click into the calendar field to get a pop-up calendar.

Pick the first day that works for you. ZocDoc will automatically show you 7 days worth of available times starting with that date.

 

Step 2: Find a Time that Works for You

In the weekly calendar you will see available times by dentist.

In the example above, the dentist has availability on Monday 10 am and 4 pm, and Tuesday at 9 am and 4 pm. If one of these times works for you, simply click on it. If you'd like to see more available times, click "Next Week" and you can book your appointment further out. Alternatively, you can scroll down and see times for other dentists.

Find a Dentist by Insurance

ZocDoc makes it easy to find dentists that accept your insurance. Here is what to do:

 

Step 1: Locate the insurance selection field.

This looks slightly different depending on which page your are on. Here are the two most common forms:

 

 

Step 2: Select the Dental Insurance

Click into the field where it says "I'll fill out my insurance company later". A drop down list will appear. If you do have dental insurance, please select the name of your insurance. If you don't have dental insurance, or your plan is not listed, please select "I am paying by myself". Please note that in most cases, your dental insurance will be different from your medical (health) insurance. If you are unsure, please contact your HR department.

 

Step 3: Select Your Plan

Once you have selected your insurance, the drop down list for "Dental Insurance Plan" will be active. Click into this field to select your plan.

If you were on a page that gave you the option to only show dentists that accept your insurance: you can check the box to filter out all dentists that do not participate in your insurance.

 

Once you apply the insurance filter, you will get one of 3 possible results:

or Insurance Logo	Dentist is in network with your insurance. Typically, you will not have to file any paperwork and you'll have the lowest possible co-pay, or no co-pay at all (depending on your plan).
	Dentist does not participate with your insurance (I.e., has no contract). However, the dentist will send all the necessary forms to the insurance for you, and a check will be mailed directly to the dentist or to you, depending on your plan. While you may be fully covered for small procedures, your co-pay is typically higher for more expensive ones (depending on your plan).
	Dentist does not participate with your insurance (I.e., has no contract). You will be provided with an itemized bill that you can submit to your insurance, but you typically will have to pay your bill during your visit to this office.

Information about ZocDoc for Doctors and Dentists

ZocDoc is a new way for you to interact with your patients. By making your schedule book available online, you increase your attractiveness and visibility to educated, busy professionals. Our service goes beyond mere convenience: sophisticated recall functionality through email and SMS enables you to see your patients as frequently as needed to deliver optimal care.

If you are interested in how ZocDoc can help you create and strengthen your patient relationships, please register for our waiting list. We are currently activating dentists and primary care physicians / family doctors in Manhattan and the New York City area. However, our users and your patients are currently voting which city we should expand to next, and we encourage you to register even if your practice is somewhere else in the USA. If you want to cast your vote as well, go to the ZocDoc expansion vote.

Suggest Your Doctor or Dentist for ZocDoc

The easiest way to get your doctor added to the ZocDoc directory is by sending us an email to nominate@zocdoc.com. Please let us know if it is OK to use your name when we reach out to your doctor.

Alternatively, you can just tell your doctor about ZocDoc the next time you visit, and ask her to sign up online.

If you are a doctor or dentist you can get more information about joining ZocDoc.

ZocDoc creates a Market for Healthcare Quality

ZocDoc is an open platform, i.e. any doctor or dentist can join.

However, ZocDoc offers patient reviews and ratings. We are the only place on the web where you can find reviews that are proven to come from real patients who have actually seen the doctor. We can ensure this because we limit the ability to leave feedback to users who have booked and completed an appointment through ZocDoc - unlike other systems, which sometimes struggle with feedback spam.

This way, practitioners who truly achieve a positive patient experience will rank well - and patients finally have a way to judge their quality by the opinions of many real patients, not just an anecdotal recommendation by a friend.

Specialties Offered by ZocDoc

ZocDoc currently allows you to find dentists online. However, we are getting ready to add primary care physicians / family doctors. Please expect us to add them in early 2008. Actually, we'd like to hear from you if you'd like your doctor on ZocDoc: send her contact information to nominate@ZocDoc.com. Also, let us know which specialties you would like to see next: send us your suggestions to service@ZocDoc.com.

ZocDoc is a Free Service to Find Doctors and Dentists

Using ZocDoc to find a dentist does not cost you anything.

On the contrary, we help you save money: you can filter by insurance to find professionals who participate with your insurance and plan.

And we help you save time: Find dentists who are available at a time of your choice, without spending time calling around.

If there are additional features you'd like to see, please contact us at service@ZocDoc.com.

What is ZocDoc?

ZocDoc is an online way to make finding and booking a doctor or dentist easy. Our participating dentists and doctors make their appointment books available online, and you get to select from thousands of possible appointment times (including Saturday appointments, early morning and late night times and emergency dental and medical appointments).

To help you make a decision among our providers, our dentist and doctor directory gives you the information you need most:

• You can see the location of dentists near you on a map. Click on one of the numbered pins to get more information about this doctor.

 

• You can see available times on a glance (simply click on a time to book an appointment, or click on "Next Week" to see more times).

 

• To get more information about a dentist, including written patient reviews, information about schools, specialization, professional memberships and a professional statement, click on the doctor's picture to see a detailed professional profile. We have patient ratings for overall recommendation, professional bedside manners, and wait time.

 

• You can filter by insurance to ensure your doctor is in network before you visit.

To make an appointment online today, visit our dentist directory.

ZocDoc Coverage

ZocDoc aspires to help you find a doctor or dentist anywhere in the US. We have started to build our network in New York, and we have a list of covered Zip codes below. If you live in a city that is not yet covered by ZocDoc, you can cast your vote where ZocDoc should go next.

ZocDoc Dentist Coverage by Zip Code

10001, 10002, 10003, 10004, 10005, 10006 10007, 10008, 10009, 10010, 10011, 10012, 10013, 10014,  10016, 10017, 10018, 10019, 10021, 10022, 10023, 10024, 10025, 10026, 10027, 10030, 10031, 10036, 10038, 10048, 10280

Please note that dentist search results will vary depending on schedule availability.

If you'd like to suggest a dentist in a Zip code we do not yet cover, please send us name and contact information of her practice to nominate@ZocDoc.com.