Oral Health Link to Whole Body Health: A Blog

No Need to Impress: What Not to Do Just Before Visiting the Dentist

12 June 2015

Duane Kelly

There are some activities that simply should not be done before certain kinds of appointments. If you're going skydiving, you don't meet your friends at the pub first. You don't schedule a wedding dress fitting immediately after you've had your spray tan applied.

Likewise, when you go the dentist, there are a few things you need to make sure that you don't do before your appointment. These things make life easier for your dentist, which in turn means your appointment will go as smoothly as possible.

1. Brushing and Flossing

Don't suddenly start brushing and flossing your teeth more often than you usually do. If you only brush and floss once or twice a day, don't up this to three or four times a day in the days before your appointment. It won't make a difference to the overall health of your teeth in the short term, and can actually irritate your gums, causing further problems.

Instead, simply brush and floss as per usual. It's also a good idea to brush and floss immediately prior to visiting the dental clinic, to remove any food debris. This is just good manners, and saves the dentist from having to do it.

2. Pain Management

Don't self medicate before your dental appointment. You might be the type of person who becomes stressed at the dentist's office, and yet any kind of painkillers or relaxants can interfere with any kind of anaesthetic that your dentist might need to give you.

Instead, tell your dentist about your fear or stress, and they can offer alternatives. This might involve them offering a more comprehensive form of pain management than they would have before. They might also suggest an anti-inflammatory to take before your next visit, which minimises the potential for painful swelling.

3. Timekeeping

Don't be late! If you're late, everyone who had an appointment after yours might be delayed. Dental appointments are scheduled carefully to allow the dentist enough time to do the job in question. Do you really want them to have to rush?

Instead, call ahead if you're going to be late. This is hardly an ideal scenario, but it gives the dentist more leeway. If they know you're going to be 20 minutes late, they then know how much time they have to work on something else. It might not seem like much, but it makes their scheduling so much more efficient.

These minor things will ensure that your dentist has the maximum amount of time to work on your teeth, while making sure that your mouth is in the best condition to be worked on. For more tips, contact clinics like Bruce Stevens Dental.

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