If you’ve been avoiding seeing the dentist out of fear of pain, you could be causing more harm to your smile than good. After all, your preventive check-ups and cleanings do more than just polish your teeth! They also are an important way to prevent cavities, gum disease, and even diagnose existing problems like oral cancer that you may not even be aware of.
Here’s how to ensure that your next dental appointment stays calm and comfortable, and why you should never let fear stand in the way of a healthy, beautiful smile!
Preventing Pain
Your dental exam and cleaning should not be painful, but if it’s been a while since you’ve had a professional cleaning, you could experience some tenderness, especially in your gums.
To prevent this type of discomfort, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen about 30 minutes prior to your appointment. You can also switch to a sensitive toothpaste about a week before your appointment to help reduce sensitivity during and after your cleaning.
Stay on Schedule
Be sure to maintain the same high-level of oral hygiene you always do leading up to your appointment. Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush, floss once a day, and eat a diet low in carbohydrates and sugar. This will make it easier for your dental hygienist to clean your teeth and make your mouth less sensitive, too.
Keep Calm and Carry On
If you have any fear or anxiety that may be preventing you from getting regular oral health care, speak to your dentist about your sedation dentistry options prior to your appointment. Often, nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation can help ease fears and relax you long enough to be treated.
Hold off on Whitening
While it may seem like a great idea to whiten your teeth prior to your checkup so your dentist is proud of your hard work caring for your smile on your own, hold off on bleaching them until after your cleaning. The chemicals used in this type of treatment can often make teeth very sensitive, which can make your cleaning very uncomfortable. Worse yet, if you have any undiagnosed problems, whitening can make them worse.
Finally, your results will look better, and the active ingredients will work better when you whiten clean teeth, so waiting until after your appointment will get you an even brighter smile and ensure that you’re not just whitening tartar! You can even speak to your dentist about professional whitening, which can get much better results than OTC products in a fraction of the time.
Remember, while your dental check-up and cleaning shouldn’t hurt, you could still experience some sensitivity if you haven’t been to the dentist in a while. To ensure that your dental exam is as comfortable as possible, follow the tips above, and you’ll leave with a (clean!) smile.
About Our Practice
At Advanced Dental Concepts, our trio of skilled and caring dentists understand that fear can sometimes get in the way of proper oral health. That’s why we’re proud to offer sedation dentistry options for patients who experience dental anxiety. If you’ve been afraid to come in due to fear of pain, don’t let your anxiety put your smile at risk. Schedule your biannual exam and cleaning today by visiting our website, or to discuss sedation dentistry options in advance, please call us directly at 219-926-7595.