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Overview

Planning for your next dental visit? Have you put everything required in order? Is your appointment still on? Do you have a clear understanding of what your procedure entails?

7 Things You Should Do To Prepare For Your Next Dental Visit
Dental Care Tips

These are some questions you must answer before visiting your dentist. It would be best if you were adequately prepared to ensure everything went smoothly. If you’re wondering how you should prepare for your next dental visit, here is how:

Tips for Preparing for Dental Appointment

1. Verify the Appointment

Most, if not all, dental clinics use intelligent appointment systems that remind patients about their appointments, either through texts or phone calls. Once you receive the reminder, follow the protocols required to confirm if you’re still keeping the appointment or not.

Moreover, confirming the appointment will help you understand at what time you should show up for the check-up and ensure the dentist expects your visit.

If your dental clinic doesn’t use the modes of communication mentioned above to remind its patients of their subsequent appointments, you might need to call or visit before the appointment.[1] This ensures that your appointment with the dentist is arranged and that the dentist is aware of your next appointment.

2. Understand Why You’re Visiting A Dentist

There are many reasons to schedule an appointment with a dentist. It might be for regular cleaning, tooth removal, or even denture replacement or placement. That said, it’s vital to understand why you want to visit your dentist and prepare accordingly.

For instance, when planning for particular procedures, you may have to adjust your diet before the appointment.

You might also be required to skip meals several hours before the procedure. Without understanding why you’re seeing a dentist, you’ll probably make a mistake that might interfere with your treatment.

dentist appointment

How to Prepare for a Dentist Appointment?

3. Prepare Your Dental Records

As with other health practitioners, dentists will also require your dental health history to make a treatment plan and understand where you stand concerning dental health.Without your record, it might be challenging for the dentist to understand what to do or not, especially if you’re a new patient.

However, with dental records, the dentist can conduct a quick examination to determine your problems and the treatments you’ve received. This way, they’ll figure out whether to continue, stop, or adjust the treatment plan.

4. Keep Your Mouth Clean

The dentist will examine your mouth and teeth for a few minutes. Therefore, it will be appropriate to maintain your oral hygiene to get rid of leftover food and bad breath. No one would want to spend minutes close to a stinking and dirty mouth, not you.

With that in mind, provide a conducive environment for the dentist by ensuring your mouth is clean. You also don’t want to make the impression that your bad oral hygiene is the culprit of your dental issues. Make sure you floss, brush, and mouthwash for sparkling clean teeth and fresh breath.

5. Understand The Payment Method

Depending on the procedures and treatment you receive, dental visit price is high. In some cases, it might be challenging to provide the required payment, especially if you’re paying cash. It’s vital to figure out how you’ll pay to avoid experiencing any challenges when paying for the services.

Before the appointment, check the insurance policy to understand the amount needed for your treatment or the required services. Also, ensure your credit or insurance is in order for easier payment.

6. Keep Time

Your dentist is probably a busy one. Also, as you’ve planned and waited for your appointment, so have other patients. Therefore, you should avoid any delay that can interfere with the dentist’s schedule. To avoid traffic, make sure you know the address and leave early. If possible, arrive 10 minutes earlier instead of late. It might be better to wait for the dentist rather than the other way around. 

7. Open Up And Be Honest

Most patients are scared of dental visits. This is understandable since the procedures might seem scary and can be painful. Also, other patients are concerned with the dentist’s view of their dental issues, resulting in low self-esteem. While all these concerns are valid, it’s vital to note that dentists are trained to handle patients with care and are used to dealing with all dental issues.

It’s also important to note that a professional dentist is there to help you correct your dental issue, not to judge you. Therefore, you should be honest about your feelings, fears, and concerns to help the doctor handle you appropriately.

Conclusion

Before showing up for your next dental visit, you should ensure that everything goes smoothly.[2] Prepare for your appointment, the procedure, and the payment method. Moreover, make sure to arrive on time to avoid delays. Remember, you shouldn’t be nervous; your dentist will handle you with the amount of care you deserve.

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Dr. Steven Lin, B.D

Dr. Steven Lin is a dentist, speaker, and author of the upcoming book, The Dental Diet (January 18’). His work aims to bridge the gap