Tips on how to use the online Search feature:

This database lookup allows you to search for character strings like “ortho” which will display records containing words like “orthodontist”, “orthodontistry”, “orthodontics” or even “unorthodox”.

When you first click the geographical region you wish to search within, you will be presented with a table containing a Search box near the top right corner, followed by an alphabetical overview of the first 20 dentists (clicking the Details link will open a more detailed profile view of a given dentist).

The search box performs a wildcard search in that it will search any field for the character string you enter. So, for example, entering the zip code “32301” in the search box will probably yield good results, as the character string “32301” is not likely to turn up in other fields (although a dentist with an ADDRESS of “32301 Main Street” would actually be a correct match).

To get more specific results, use the Extended search feature, which allows you to search character strings within two or more specific fields. The most important qualifier here is the “Any Field” vs. “All Fields” selection. If “Any Field” is selected you are still basically performing a wildcard search because you are still searching “Any Field” for the character string “32301” (even if you place "32301" in the ZIP field).

However, when you select “All Fields”, your character string must match in the field you place it in. This is particularly important when specifying a match in two or more fields. Let’s say you want to find “Female” dentists in “32301”. You would place the character “F” (for female) in the GENDER field and “32301” in the Zip field. Selecting “All Fields” avoids returning records with the character “F” in “Any Field” (like “Fred” in the FIRSTNAME field, for example).

Generally, selecting "All Fields" in an Extended search will return much narrower, and better, results.