How to Prepare for Your Next Dentist Trip

As the end of 2018 approaches, Christmas time can be a popular time to get those end of the dentist visits in. It is probably been a while since you have been to the dentist and you are most likely experiencing some stress and nervousness around this next trip. The recurring questions start popping up like, “will I have a cavity?”, “have I gotten my wisdom teeth out?”, and, “when was the last time I flossed?”. Instead of being nervous about these things, take some time and start mentally preparing for the visit! You can also check out the ideas below of how to start doing this.

Start flossing! The most told lie in America is when you respond with a “yes” to your dentist when he asks if you have been flossing. What if you were actually able to tell the truth and confidently state that you have been flossing! And no, not the dance, but actually taking dental floss string and using it to get those food particles out of your teeth. This would make the visit much more enjoyable because you will lead off with telling the truth, and that’s one less thing to stress about. Run out to CVS right now and grab a bag of the floss picks! The floss picks will make this a super easy process for you and you will not need to spend any time thinking about it.

Brush twice a day! Leading up to your visit, make sure you are getting those regular two brushes in. It is really important that you pay attention to any small pain or discomfort you experience when you brush and floss. These are items you can tell the dentist about and that way they will not have to spend a lot of time looking for issues, they can examine the painful area right away and start treating it. The more the dentist knows about how long you have been experiencing the discomfort, the more likely they are to know and understand what is causing the pain. Also, the people in your life will appreciate you brushing more!

Check the charts! It is always good to look at your calendar and notes and receipts of your past trips to the dentist to make sure you have a good understanding of your teeth history. Make sure to clearly mark when you had your wisdom teeth out, or if you had a major mouth operation like a root canal or getting a cavity filled. That way the dentist will know exactly how long it has been and can make recommendations for how you should be feeling based on those dates.

Don’t stress! The visit will be great. Plus you will get a nice clean mouth and sparkly teeth before all those family Christmas parties arrive.