You’ve scheduled you annual dental exam appointment, and the office receptionist praises you before hanging up. It’s next week and long overdue. The big day arrives and something happens to cause you to overlook it. Maybe your babysitter becomes unavailable, maybe your car won’t start, or you’re just plain afraid of the pain that a dental appointment may cause you. We all have these things happen in life, but missed dental appointments have a greater impact than you may realize.
So Many Reasons
We’ve had many patients over the years miss appointments for one reason or another. It can be frustrating because we highly value each of them and want the best for them and their teeth. That exam may find a now-benign condition that if not spotted and taken care of, can result in far worse illnesses or oral conditions. A filling is a great example; when a simple filling is put off, a root canal may be needed later, a much more painful and costly procedure. Likewise, if an appointment is skipped that is part of a series for anti-biotic treatments, you may need to restart the entire process. This can be expensive and time-consuming for someone with a limited amount in the first place.
Despite these possibilities, people miss appointments. Reasons usually fall under a couple categories. Emergency or unforeseen circumstances come up and we know they are out of anyone’s control. Other reasons, however, could be eliminated with some planning or responsible responses. Here are some tips:
- As soon as you make your appointment, make all the necessary arrangements immediately. Contact a babysitter, make travel arrangements, and place the appointment card where you’ll see it or write it on your calendar. Do what you can to remember the appointment and plan for it.
- Give yourself some space around the appointment on your calendar. Plan time before your appointment in case of traffic or extended work commitments. Give yourself time after in case there are complications or you need to be home recovering.
- If something happens last minute like a car break down or a sudden illness hits you, contact your dental office as soon as possible to reschedule. Missed appointments cost you nothing, but your dentist rents the space and equipment. If you call, they may be able to slide someone into your time slot that needs it.
The Fear Factor
Dental phobia is a real thing. According to Dr. Matthew Messina, a Cleveland dentist and consumer adviser for the American Dental Association, estimates that 10 percent of the adult population in the United States fear dental pain that it prevents regular dentist visits. Most visits aren’t the painful things we make them out to be in our head.
If you’re one of the scared, we encourage you to find a dentist you feel comfortable with and trust. Going to regular exams with the same dentist will make you more familiar with not only the dentist but also his assistants and the office’s atmosphere as a whole. He or she can then help alleviate this terror in several ways. One way is discussing what will be going on in your mouth and any complications so you feel more aware ahead of time. Another is a more direct approach by discussing and paying for anesthesia during any possibly painful procedures.
Let’s Work Together
Dentistry is a field that offers so much to the livelihood and overall health of its patients. Skipped dental appointments are missed opportunities to take care of yourself and prevent disease and oral complications. With the above responsible suggestions, your experience can be smooth and easy every time you visit our Carrollton office.
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