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But how you prepare beforehand matters just as much as showing up.Certain habits in the hours leading up to your visit can interfere with your dentist’s ability to accurately assess your oral health, and even affect the quality of care you receive. Here’s what to avoid before your next appointment.
1. Don’t Brush and Floss Excessively
If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the dentist, you may try to erase evidence of tooth-damaging habits like smoking and eating sugary snacks. “Many patients brush and floss vigorously in the minutes before a dental visit, hoping to arrive with their teeth at their best,” says Murray Pratt, the principal dentist and clinical director of Forever Dental and Skin in Surrey, England. But that’s not a good idea.
Aggressively brushing teeth at the last minute can leave the gums inflamed and irritated, increasing the likelihood of bleeding during the exam, Dr. Pratt explains. “It can also make it harder for the dentist to see what’s going on underneath,” he says.
2. Don’t Hide Medication Use
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Many common medications affect oral health or your ability to heal after dental procedures. For example, calcium channel blockers, a type of blood pressure medication, can cause gum overgrowth.[3]
Meanwhile, birth control pills can increase your risk for dry socket, a painful complication of tooth extractions.[4]
That’s why it’s essential to update your dentist on any changes since your last visit. “If you started any new prescription, such as a blood thinner, bone drug, or weight loss shots since I last saw you, I need to know before I touch anything,” says Ambereen Fatima, DDS, the lead dentist and owner of Innova Smiles in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
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So, you may be tempted to pop a pain reliever before your appointment. But these medications can mask pain for four to eight hours, making it harder for your dentist to pinpoint the source of your discomfort.[6]
Note what time you took the medication, because your dentist will want to know. “If you took ibuprofen so you could function, fine, but tell me, and point to where it was screaming before the pill kicked in. Otherwise, the tooth goes quiet and I’m stuck guessing which one dragged you in here,” Dr. Fatima says.
3. Don’t Consume (Too Much) Caffeine
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4. Don’t Eat Acidic Foods or Drinks
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5. Don’t Drink Alcohol
Pratt cautions against drinking alcohol the night before a dental appointment. “Alcohol thins the blood, which can increase bleeding during routine cleanings,” he explains.
Alcohol can also leave the body dehydrated. “This causes dry mouth and makes the gums more sensitive,” Pratt says.
Drinking alcohol the night before your appointment can also adversely affect the oral environment and pH balance of the oral microbiome, says Arthur Glosman, DDS , a cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills, California. The oral microbiome is the community of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that naturally live in your mouth.
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6. Don’t Consume Foods or Beverages That Stain Teeth
Avoid consuming dark-colored foods and drinks if you’re getting teeth whitening or matching for veneers at your appointment. Dark-colored drinks such as coffee, tea, and red wine can temporarily stain tooth enamel, making it harder for your dentist to assess your teeth’s true color, Dr. Glosman explains.
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7. Don’t Withhold Important Information
“A common mistake patients make is not flagging an issue early enough in the visit for the dentist to address it properly,” Pratt says. You might hope your dentist will spot the problem without your input, but staying quiet about something like tooth pain can leave too little time to explore it thoroughly — and may even mean coming back for a second appointment.
“Many times patients avoid telling the dentist the truth about their symptoms, because they’re embarrassed. They don’t mention bleeding gums, bad breath, cold sores, or jaw pain,” Glosman says. Yet these are exactly the details that help your dentist catch underlying problems and decide how best to treat you.
