Studies show that proper oral health significantly contributes to one's physical, mental, and social well-being. Maintaining healthy gums and teeth requires a regular dental check-up, if possible, twice a year. After confirming a dental appointment, now it's time to prepare for the big day. Even for minor procedures that take only a few minutes, proper preparation is vital.
Whether it's a return visit or your first visit, here are five ways how you should prepare:
1. Confirm the Appointment
Twenty-four hours before the appointment day, make a call to the dentist's office and confirm the appointment. Confirming appointments has the following advantages:
- The dentist will be ready for you
- There will be less wait time in the dental office
- It's convenient for you and the dentist
- You can reschedule the appointment in advance in case the dentist is not available.
2. Talk to Your Health Insurance Provider
If you are not planning to pay for the dental procedure out-of-pocket, it's advisable to inform your health insurer about it in advance. Take time and confirm if the insurer covers the scheduled procedure. In case the health insurance doesn't cover it, make proper arrangements for alternative payment methods.
3. Prepare All Your Medical Records
Before a dentist performs any medical procedure, they must collect information about your medical history. If you have an underlying medical condition, you need to gather previous treatment records and present them to the dentist. In most cases, the dental practitioner will collect a wide variety of information about your health history. Don't be surprised if they ask you questions that are not even dental-related.
The dentist may ask about prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs that you might be using. They may also ask about conditions that are closely linked to oral health, such as:
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- HIV/AIDS
- Alzheimer's disease
- Hypertension
4. Observe Good Oral Hygiene
On the appointment day, take a good shower and thoroughly brush and floss your teeth. However, don't brush excessively in an attempt to please your dentist, as it may harm your gums. Nonetheless, make sure that your mouth is fresh, as it will give you the confidence to open it before a dental practitioner.
5. Make Any Other Necessary Arrangement
When confirming the appointment, ask the dentist if you should eat. If a dental procedure involves a general anesthetic, you shouldn't eat for about 12 hours before the appointment time. Also, based on the procedure to be performed, you should stock your home with pain killers and soft drinks. Further, remember to take any prescribed medication, such as antibiotics.
Conclusion
Don't treat a visit to the dentist as a regular visit to a friend. Whether it's tooth extraction, routine check-up, or surgical procedure appointment, make proper preparations, as it's vital in improving the outcome.
Our oral surgery and general dental website offers important information on how to prevent dry socket following a tooth extraction. After getting your tooth pulled, a protective blood clot develops over the extraction site. Many of our blog posts explain how this protective clot helps promote healing after an extraction.
You'll learn that if the clot is accidentally dislodged, dry socket may occur, which can raise your risk for infection and heavy bleeding. We'll provide you with important tips on how to prevent this by avoiding smoking and drinking through a straw. You'll also learn that swishing water around your mouth should be avoided for a couple of days following your extraction because doing so creates a suction that may dislodge your clot, leading to dry socket.