Many people get anxious before they visit the dentist, but you should let your fear take control of you and mess up your manners. Furthermore, we have explained some DO’S and DON’T so that your next dental visit to the dentist goes in the smoothest way possible.
You should always be on time for your dental appointments. In our clinic, we don’t double-book patients so when we set an appointment our time and dedication will be just for you and your needs. We often understand when our clients are just a few minutes late but if it is longer than 20 minutes regardless of traffic, sleeping in, etc… you are cutting into the next patient’s time, so it is not tolerable.
If you have had something to eat just before the appointment we would appreciate it if you take a few minutes to rinse or brush your teeth if possible. A clean mouth is much easier to work on and we will always appreciate the effort.
Please call to reschedule your appointment if you have an infectious sore, fever, or the flu. To stop diseases from spreading between patients, we use a highly stringent infection control procedure. This is done to ensure the safety of the clients and even the doctors.
If you must cancel, unless for unforeseen circumstances like a vehicle accident or an unexpected sickness, please notify us at least 48 hours in advance so we can find another person to fill your appointment. If you don’t show up at all we will consider it very rude to the physician, hygienists, and staff members.
We don’t have any strict rules about using a cell phone. While you wait in the room or wait to be numb for your dental procedure, you may use your phone. But please, it is highly disturbing to hear your cell phone ring repeatedly while we are operating in your mouth. Even worse would be if you tried to text someone while the dentist was drilling by holding your phone above their heads.
At least a couple of hours before your dentist visit, avoid smoking. Since cigarette smoke includes additional dangerous compounds that can gradually wear down your enamel, dentists advise you to stop smoking altogether. Smoking can cause bad breath and will also make it difficult for you to heal.
Ask questions and communicate. You need to be fully aware of the state of your oral and medical health. Our dental team will always try to answer your questions in the most honest way and make you feel comfortable.
Please inform a staff member if there was anything unpleasant about your visit so we can take care of your concern right away. We prioritise our client’s satisfaction and we would like to know if anything goes wrong in order to improve ourselves.
Avoid rushing the meeting by incessantly inquiring, “How much longer?” or saying, “I have to leave early.” The time won’t move any faster if you ask every five minutes. For that hour, your teeth and oral health are our main priorities so we take our time.
People who answer the phone have feelings as well. Please be kind, let us know what you need, let us know if something is wrong, and we will be happy to address them. Although we understand that some treatments cause pain, there is no need to be unkind to any of the staff members. In any case, our goal is to help you manage any issues and get your oral health back to its best. Being kind to each other improves the relationship for all of us.
You must brush your teeth the night before any dentist visit for two reasons. It first assists with reducing bacteria and plaque buildup on the surface of your gums and teeth, which may reduce the time the dentist needs to spend cleaning them. Additionally, it assists in the prevention of possible bad breath, which may bother both you and your dentist.
Before a dental consultation, consuming a lot of sugar-filled drinks might interfere with blood tests that are done for further examinations. Dentists can learn important information about your white blood cell count and glucose level from these tests and they are very beneficial in providing the appropriate care.
For example, a complete set of blood tests can help the dentist determine whether extra precautions are necessary during your dental operation if you have diabetes or an inflammatory disease. Furthermore, depending on what you’re getting treated for or where in your mouth the procedure is being done, an extensive checklist of pre-dental tests might assist in addressing certain issues.
Sugary drinks cause your blood glucose levels to rise, which lowers the pH in your mouth. Plaque analysis is one frequent dental test whose results might be affected by low pH levels. As a result, you may guarantee that all tests are performed safely and properly by avoiding sugar-filled foods and beverages before your dental appointment.
Before any dental operation, it is strongly recommended that you fast for at least eight hours. This gives your stomach’s food enough time to be processed by your body before any procedure.
Due to the anaesthetics combined with food particles, eating right before surgery might cause adverse effects including nausea and vomiting. Additionally, because your body will have to work harder than normal to remove toxins from the bloodstream, it can take longer for you to recover from anaesthesia following surgery.
When teeth are sensitive, specific foods, beverages, and temperatures might hurt or irritate the teeth. It’s advisable to stay away from any meals or beverages that might cause your teeth to feel sensitive before you visit the dentist. This will not only make you feel more at ease during the appointment, but it will also allow our dental professionals to accurately examine the state of your oral health during the visit.
Although wearing makeup may be a regular part of your day you can try to avoid it the day you have any medical appointment scheduled. For instance, the doctor might need to hold your face still for a few minutes during a cavity-filling surgery. If you wear a lot of makeup, it may get on the doctor’s gloves and any medical equipment that is being used.
The problem might make it difficult to handle medical devices and may even risk medical care. Make sure you wear little to no makeup when you visit the dentist to guarantee that every appointment is stress-free.
A patient may spend a lot of time sitting still, depending on the kind of treatment they receive. Sweating excessively may result from wearing tight clothes that cling to the body or limit movement, which absorbs heat closer to the skin. In addition to being unpleasant, this can cause skin irritation and general discomfort throughout the entire procedure.
Loose-fitting clothing is often made of light, breathable fabric that promotes air circulation and regulates body temperature. Furthermore, wearing loose clothing gives you more freedom of motion, which helps ease the stress on your muscles from any uncomfortable positions you may have during the treatment. This helps to stay still longer without getting distracted by irritated feelings from tight clothing pressing against different parts of the body.
Alcohol affects the body in a variety of ways, from minor to severe. Alcohol use can lead to many health problems such as dehydration, exhaustion, decreased coordination, mood swings, and depression, depending on the quantity and frequency of usage. The harmful consequences of alcohol use increase when it comes to dental procedures like anaesthesia. Drinking alcohol before dental work might shorten the healing period and increase bleeding during the treatment.
Alcohol may interfere with the absorption of anaesthesia, lowering the amount of it that enters your system. This implies that to have the required results during your dental surgery, you might need to take stronger dosages of anaesthesia than usual. You will also need to spend more time in the doctor’s office since it will take longer for the anaesthesia to take effect.
Gum disease, tooth discoloration, and an elevated risk of oral cancer are just a few of the many problems that smoking may cause with your oral health. Beyond merely being bad for our oral health, tobacco use has other detrimental effects on our bodies, such as heart and lung conditions, a higher chance of stroke, a reduced immune system, and lower fertility.
Smoking may be a major challenge to achieving satisfactory results from dental procedures like extractions or fillings. Due to decreased oxygen and blood flow to the body’s tissues, smokers are more prone to have medical problems. Additionally, smokers may notice that because of their weakened immune systems, their bodies recover more slowly than usual. Moreover, smoking might raise the risk of infection following surgery.
In the years that we have been in dental practice, we have seen a great deal of patients who had taken a painkiller before seeing us. It can be unsuccessful even if it could seem like a smart idea to control your discomfort before your visit. Painkillers could cover up the underlying problem, making it more challenging for us to identify and address the right dental issue.
Our main priority is always to make sure that our patients feel comfortable throughout their stay with us, so to provide them with the finest treatment possible, we take the time to determine their specific needs. We are aware of the discomfort or anxiety that some people may have while seeing a dentist. As a result, we work to establish a peaceful environment during visits by attending to the patient’s worries and health issues.
If you worry about the pain during medical procedures don’t be because we also discuss different anaesthesia options available to ensure that you receive appropriate relief from any discomfort they may experience during certain procedures. These options include local anaesthetics, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedation medication, or general anaesthesia. The right choice will be made with the help of the dentist.
