What you should and shouldn’t do to get ready for a dental check up or procedure.
Dental appointments can be stressful. Not many people like having a stranger poking around in their mouth looking for problems. What can you do to make everything go as smoothly as possible for yourself, the dentist, and everyone else involved? Read on to find out.
Confirm your appointment
Do this at least 1 day in advance. This ensures that the dentist knows you are certainly going to come, and it helps remind you of your commitment.
Share your dental history
If you are transferring to a new dentist, this is especially important. Make sure that your current dentist knows your dental record. Examples include the following:
- Have you had surgery?
- Injuries?
- Do you have any oral diseases or other diseases that may affect your teeth, like diabetes?
- Do you have a history of grinding your teeth?
- Are or were you a smoker?
- What medications are you on? How much do you take?
- Do you have any current or past doctors orders regarding medication?
Any previous information that is relevant can make the dental appointment a much faster process.
Bring payment/insurance information
Rather than sending an email or reminding yourself to send it after, just take it with you. This enables instantaneous access to your insurance for the office and makes figuring out how you will pay much easier. The people at the office can process your payment information during your procedure, so you won’t have anything to worry about when you leave.
Arrive at least 10 minutes early
This gives you the opportunity to sign in and fill out any paperwork before the appointment begins. It’s rude to arrive late, as the dentist will be cramped for time and that can affect other patients who are waiting to be seen.
Communicate with your dentist beforehand
Be sure to talk to your dentist about previous medical history before the appointment. Thanks to the internet, you can send emails with your records and other information in minutes. This enables the dentist to have a pre-appointment idea of what to expect and will help expedite everything.
What to communicate beforehand:
- Medical history (as listed above).
- Present concerns.
- Any problems being currently experienced that you think are germane to the procedure.
- Doubts you may have about your oral health.
- Worried/anxious about your visit?
Clean your mouth before the appointment
Brush your teeth and make sure that no food debris is left over from your last meal. You don’t have to go overboard, but it’s a wonderful idea to brush and floss, and drink plenty of water before you go to the dentist’s office. This speeds up the cleaning and observation of your mouth by the dentist, and just makes everyone’s life a lot easier. Hopefully, if you are reading this, you already know you should be brushing at least twice a day, and flossing at least once a day. If your appointment is in the morning after breakfast, or in the afternoon post-lunch, be sure to do a courtesy brush before you head in for your appointment.
Feeling anxious? Let your dentist know.
If you are worried or nervous about a dental visit, then you are part of a pretty big number of people. Many would avoid the dentist altogether thanks to the anxiety they feel. You might notice in your days preceding the visit, and during, the following:
- Trouble sleeping.
- Feeling physically ill.
- Building anxiety that escalates in the waiting room.
- Feelings of unease.
These feelings are fairly normal, and your dentist has certainly seen them in other people before. The best thing you can do about it is to talk with the dentist about it. Email the dentist/office beforehand and express what you are feeling. They will make the visit go much more easily and smoothly and do what they can to alleviate your concerns.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before the visit
Your dentist should know about what medications you are on, so that won’t be as big of a problem. But caffeine and alcohol are both drugs that are typically taken without a schedule, so the dentist won’t know. You don’t want any side effects from taking prescribed drugs while under the influence or while caffeinated.
Caffeine will also make it more difficult to sit in the dentist chair for a prolonged period. Finally, it’s a diuretic as well, and you don’t want to have to interrupt your appointment to get up and use the bathroom repeatedly.
Bring any oral appliances
Things like sleep apnea devices also need cleaning. No better time to get that done than while you are at an oral health provider’s office. Your dentist can also let you know if it is damaged and needs to be replaced.
Prepare a list of questions
Make a list of any questions or concerns you haven’t yet communicated with your dentist. That way you can ask them prior to the appointment and alleviate anxiety. You can also lean important oral healthcare tips that you may have forgotten to talk about previously.
If you have questions, feel free to ask us at Josey Lane Dentistry. We are experienced providers who can help you reduce anxiety, address concerns, and of course, provide top-notch dental care. Whether you are in the Carrollton area or not, feel free to send us a message, and we will do our best to help. Our service often includes surgery and restorative care, so we are experts on helping you prepare for dental visits and procedures.
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