dentalssale The dentist is the haven of good dental hygiene and people seem to understand the importance of getting their teeth checked. If you’re due for an appointment soon, here are some things you should avoid doing before going to the dentist.
1, Avoid putting on too much makeup before seeing the dentist
Dental procedures involve placing hands, tools, and water inside your mouth. Depending on exactly what you are having done, your mouth may also be numbed. Since the area around your mouth will likely get messy, it’s best to skip the lipstick, foundation, and full face powder. Try your best to arrive with a mostly bare face to avoid any unwelcome mess for the professionals perfecting your smile.
2, Don’t bring a picture of your dream teeth to a cosmetic dental consultation
The Hollywood smile is a much-coveted look for some people, but bringing in a picture of your “dream teeth” isn’t exactly a feasible way to approach dental work. Because you don’t have a face that fits those teeth. It’s like when you get your hair color done — you can’t just put the same highlights or lowlights in everybody’s hair.
3, Never keep your medical history a secret from your dentist
It’s vital to share information beforehand so your dentist knows how best to treat you. If you have experienced a serious health condition such as a surgery or been diagnosed with a chronic condition, you need to tell your dentist before you come for your appointment. Depending on the illness, you may need to be premedicated with antibiotics to prevent infection.
4, Skip the simple carbs and eat protein before going to the dentist
Highly-processed carbs just aren’t able to do that. They might provide an initial jolt of energy, once your blood sugar levels fall back to normal, your energy will also be zapped. Unfortunately, when your energy level decreases, your stress level will increase. If your pre-dental meal doesn’t sustain you throughout your appointment, this could leave you feeling restless, irritable, and even light-headed mid-appointment.
5, If you’re going to need medication, don’t drink alcohol before your dentist appointment
There will be some counter-indications between the wine and some dental medication. This could leave you at risk of having to reschedule your appointment or worse, you could put your health in danger.
6, If you’re going in for a root canal, don’t take painkillers
Anesthesia is typically administered before a root canal begins, meaning there’s no need for any over-the-counter medications. Also by taking painkillers, you’re killing the pain. This is a problem because your dentist may actually need for you to identify exactly where the pain is located before they can get to work. Even if you’re nervous about the potential for pain, leave the medicating to the dentist.
7, If you’re having dental surgery, don’t wear contact lenses
Wearing contacts during surgery can be problematic if you’re having to undergo a general anesthetic. This is because your eyes may need to remain closed for an extended period of time. While a short period of your eyes being closed isn’t too risky, longer periods of wearing contact lenses with your eyes shut can raise your risk of eye infection, as well as being generally uncomfortable to remove afterward.
8, Unless you’ve eaten recently, don’t brush your teeth before seeing the dentist
Dentists need the full picture of your dental health going in, and bad breath could be a sign of other dental or medical issues. Trying to mask it doesn’t exactly help them give you the help you might need.
9, Don’t eat shortly before a teeth cleaning
Do not have anything to eat or drink (except for water) at least 5 hours before your scheduled appointment. This will prevent food debris from lodging in your teeth which can irritate you during cleaning and give your dentist extra work.
10, Don’t step up your dental hygiene suddenly before seeing the dentist
You might feel like putting in hours on dental hygiene just before an appointment but doing this is futile as it may make gum tissue slightly irritated and dried out.
11, Don’t smoke before coming to the dentist
Smoking can lead to tooth staining, bad breath, inflammation of salivary gland openings and heightened plaque and tartar build-up on teeth; all before smoking leads to higher risk of gum disease longer healing times after dental surgery and procedures and higher prevalence of developing oral cancer.
12, Don’t neglect checking what insurance covers before seeing the dentist
Having sufficient insurance or funds to cover any procedures you might need is a requirement for a lot of dental practices. But even if you think you’re covered for the treatment you require, it’s important to check what your insurance will pay for prior to your appointment. Otherwise, you may be looking at quite the bill afterward, or you might not be able to get the treatment you need.
13, Skip the garlic before seeing the dentist
Garlic is delicious, but garlic producing notoriously pungent breath, the aftereffects of eating it are unlikely to endear you to those you come close to — especially your dentist.
14, Don’t drink too much caffeine before going to the dentist
High doses of caffeine can cause or worsen symptoms of anxiety, caffeine is not advisable before a visit for anyone who experiences anxiety, and can even result in panic attacks during dental care.
