Your oral and dental health plays a critical role in your overall well-being, and frequent dental visits are essential to ensure the health of your gums and teeth throughout your lifetime. Preventative care like deep teeth cleaning and check-ups are crucial to identifying possible oral and dental issues early before they become problematic and costly to reverse or treat.
These procedures help prevent dental and oral issues and maintain a radiant and healthy smile. Unfortunately, most people have dental anxiety, and a trip to the dentist’s clinic can be stressful, but it does not have to be. Preparing yourself thoroughly beforehand and knowing what to do and not to do before your dental appointment can help you relax and enjoy the most benefits from the appointment.
Before scheduling your dental visit, you should familiarize yourself with habits and behaviors that could affect the accuracy of the diagnosis and treatment. Here is an overview of what to do and not do before your dental visit:
Watch What You Consume
Usually, you can eat food before your dentist appointment, but your dentist could require you to comply with specific diet restrictions. If you are scheduled for routine dental cleaning and check-up, your dentist could allow you to eat a light meal, mostly protein-rich food, to prevent hunger and maintain your energy levels during the appointment.
However, you should brush and floss your teeth thoroughly after eating to remove food particles lingering on the surface of your teeth and make the dentist’s work easier. Below are some of the factors to consider when deciding whether or not to consume before your dental appointment:
- Whether the Anesthesia Will Be Necessary
If the recommended dental or oral procedure requires you to receive anesthesia, your dentist could require you to eat a snack before your appointment. Eating a light meal or snack in this situation gives you enough body sustenance and helps ensure a stable blood sugar level during the procedure.
- Whether the Dentist Will Use Sedatives
If the procedure your dentist recommends requires general anesthesia or sedation, he/she will likely give you some strict restrictions about fasting requirements. The purpose of these restrictions is to minimize possible complications and risks during your sedation process.
Ensure you follow and abide by your dentist’s instructions if the recommended dental procedure requires you to receive sedatives or general anesthesia.
The Specific Dental Procedure Your Dentist Recommends
Some dental procedures, like routine check-ups and teeth cleaning, do not require you to comply with fasting requirements.
Before your dental appointment, it is advisable to consult with your dentist to know what you can eat and what you should not. Your dentist will give you dietary advice based on your unique dental health issues and circumstances.
While eating before your dentist appointment can help prevent hunger during the treatment, your dentist could require you to avoid specific foods on your appointment date. Examples of these foods include:
- Chewy or sticky foods like taffy and caramel
- Spicy foods
- Hard foods like nuts
- Acidic beverages and foods like red wine and coffee
- Staining beverages and foods
- Too cold or hot foods
Aside from putting you at risk of tooth stains and gum infections, these foods can make your dentist’s work difficult.
Now that you know you can eat some foods before a dental procedure, the next question many people ask is how long you should avoid food.
When you are scheduled for dental surgery, your dentist could require you to avoid solid foods for at least six (6) hours before the procedure. The fasting period gives your body ample time to digest and metabolize the food to prevent nausea and vomiting.
If you have any scheduled surgical-dental procedure, the last meal you will eat before this procedure is vital. Below are examples of recommendable foods you can eat before your dental surgery:
- Fruits and vegetables, like ripe bananas, pears, and carrots
- Lean protein, like chicken and fish
- Bread and grain, like pasta and rice
- Plenty of water
- Soft foods, like mashed potatoes
Practice Excellent Oral and Dental Hygiene
Before your dental appointment, you should maintain an excellent oral and dental care routine by brushing and flossing your teeth at least three times daily to ensure optimal dental health. Aside from freshening your mouth, excellent dental health helps maintain gum health and prevent plaque buildup.
Brushing your teeth at least twice daily using fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash helps remove plaque buildup and food particles stuck between your teeth, which can cause gum disease or cavities. Teeth flossing is a crucial daily dental care routine that helps remove food particles stuck between teeth in areas the toothbrush cannot reach.
Plaque buildup can also affect the accuracy of your dentist’s diagnosis during your dental visit. Therefore, you cannot overlook the importance of maintaining excellent oral and dental health if you have a scheduled dental appointment. With a clear picture, your dentist can easily access your gums and teeth to precisely identify the root cause of your problem for proper treatment.
Avoid Alcoholic Drinks
Aside from increasing your anxiety and nervousness during your dental appointment date, drinking alcohol can affect your safety during the treatment.
Foremost, alcohol increases the loss of fluid in your body through urination because it is a diuretic, putting you at risk of dehydration, gum disease, and dry mouth. In addition, dry mouth also makes it challenging for your dentist to perform a comprehensive examination during your appointment.
Drinking alcohol also makes your blood thin, increasing your risk of excessive bleeding during your dental surgery. Aside from making the surgery complicated, excessive bleeding can increase the procedure’s duration.
Some dental procedures could require the dentist to numb some parts of your mouth using local anesthesia to reduce discomfort during the procedure. However, if you had two or more alcoholic beverages a day or hours before your dental appointment, it can affect the effectiveness of the anesthesia, meaning you will require more doses to achieve the desired results.
Additionally, if you have alcohol in your system, it will take longer for the anesthesia to take effect, prolonging your dental appointment. Therefore, you should give yourself at least twenty-four (24) hours before your scheduled dental appointment to ensure your dental procedure is problem-free and seamless.
Doing that gives your body enough time to metabolize the alcohol and lessens the risks of complications during your dental procedure.
Avoid Painkillers
It is not uncommon for some patients to swallow painkillers before visiting their dentist. While taking painkillers before your dental visit could seem like a smart idea, doing so could affect the accuracy of any assessment and procedure your dentist will recommend to treat your dental or oral health situation.
Over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and aspirin can conceal your underlying dental and oral health issues, making it challenging for your dentist to make the correct diagnosis for appropriate treatment. For instance, numbing or relieving pain using painkillers could make it difficult for your dentist to know when you have a serious toothache.
There is also a high chance that bleeding during your dental procedure could be excessive because painkillers, like aspirin, can thin your blood, lengthening your dental session time.
Furthermore, the anesthesia the dentist will use to manage discomfort during the recommended dental procedure could interact with painkillers, reducing its efficiency and causing unwanted side effects.
If you are currently on any medications, including painkillers, you should be honest with your dentist and inform him/her during your dental appointment. Aside from giving you relevant advice on the right cause of action, your dentist could recommend an appropriate painkiller for your unique condition.
Also, disclosing information about your medications helps your dentist explore alternative treatment procedures for your unique dental or health condition, especially if you expect discomfort after the procedure.
Without your dentist’s approval, taking painkillers before your dental appointment is not wise.
Contact Your Dental Insurance Provider and Dentist
While many overlook it, discussing your dental insurance policy with the dentist is important. When you make your initial appointment with your dentist, remember to inform him/her about your insurer and aspects of your policy. Doing that helps your dentist do the following:
- Know the procedures your insurance policy can cover to avoid unforeseen expenses
- Seek authorization from your insurer on your behalf for the recommended dental procedures
- Provide you with an estimate for the out-of-pocket costs you should anticipate paying if your insurance provider offers partial coverage for the recommended procedures
Ensure you have all the necessary insurance information and details of the recommended procedures before you contact your insurer to inform them about the scheduled dental procedures.
Prepare Your Teeth and Gums for the Dental Appointment
Maintaining an excellent dental and oral healthcare routine is vital whether you have a scheduled appointment or not. However, you could be wondering whether flossing and brushing your teeth before your scheduled dental appointment has other extra benefits.
Brushing and flossing your teeth thoroughly increases the accuracy and efficiency of the recommended dental procedure. Your dentist can perform your dental treatment quickly if you have clean teeth. With a clean surface, your dentist can easily and precisely pinpoint your dental health issue for appropriate treatment.
Furthermore, flossing and brushing your teeth before any scheduled dental appointment lessens your dental anxiety, which could increase if you suspect you have noticeable food debris stuck in between your teeth.
Consider Rescheduling the Dental Visit if You are Sick
If you feel unwell, you should consider rescheduling your dental appointment because your health is important. During your appointment, you can endanger the life of your dentist and his/her staff by interfering with their daily procedures.
However, rescheduling your dental visit can minimize this risk and safeguard other people’s health. Being sick can also make you feel discomfort during your dental visit, affecting the accuracy of the diagnosis and effectiveness of the procedure your dentist will recommend for your unique dental health problem.
By rescheduling your dental appointment, you will have ample time to recuperate and schedule your appointment once you are healed for the best treatment services you deserve for your dental problem.
Do Not Drive Yourself to the Dentist’s Office If the Recommended Procedure Requires Anesthesia
Even when your dentist recommends local anesthesia, you should avoid driving home after the procedure because it can significantly affect your driving ability, even though you are an experienced and cautious driver. In other words, anesthesia affects your mental capacity to drive a vehicle like a sober, cautious driver would under the same circumstances.
Before your dental appointment, you should have a standby and trustworthy driver who will drive you home. This gives you enough time to concentrate on healing after your surgery without worrying about focusing on the road as the driver. Even if you are not certain local anesthesia will be necessary, you should plan for transportation after the dental procedure.
Familiarize Yourself With the Recommended Dental Procedure
Doing your homework thoroughly can significantly impact the quality of the dental services you will receive. Most importantly, familiarizing yourself with the recommended dental procedure and what it entails can help lessen dental anxiety because you will know what to anticipate during the entire treatment process.
Conducting prior research on the recommended procedure also helps you prepare for post-treatment and recovery because you will know what to do and what not to do. For instance, the research can help you understand how to manage discomfort or swelling after the procedure.
Additionally, prior research on the scheduled dental procedure helps you prepare relevant questions to ask your dentist during your appointment to make informed decisions about your treatment.
Find a Dentist Near Me
As you can see above, there is much more to any successful dental visit than just showing up on time. You and the dentist you will consult can have a successful appointment when you follow the above-explained proactive measures ahead of time.
We invite you to call our reliable dentists at The Lakewood Dentist at 562-423-1441 if you or a loved one needs any dental treatment or advice regarding his/her dental and oral health.