Most people have their teeth cleaned twice each year, and sometimes more frequently if problems arise. In order to get the most out of each of your teeth cleaning, there are a few things you can do which will make the experience more productive and more beneficial for you.
Don’t bother brushing
This may sound odd, but it’s generally better if you don’t brush your teeth before visiting your dentist. If you’ve recently had a meal before going to the office, it’s likely that food will be caught somewhere in your teeth, and may still be there at the time of your teeth cleaning. This will show your dentist exactly where your problem areas may be, and where food routinely would become trapped between teeth. That in turn, will be a cue for him/her to point out to you where you need special attention with brushing and flossing.
Don’t whiten your teeth
Some people have the mistaken notion that whitening their teeth will show the dentist what a great job they’re doing at brushing. In fact, any whitening process that you use is very likely to trigger sensitivity in your teeth, and that’s not what you want when you’re about to undergo a teeth cleaning. If you really want to have your teeth whitened, talk to your dentist about doing it after a teeth cleaning, which is when your teeth will be more receptive to the whitening agents anyway.
Take in questions you may have
Some people have such a dread of going to the dentist, that they just go blank as soon as they arrive at the office, or get in the chair. It would be much better for you if you can jot down any questions you have for your dentist prior to a teeth cleaning, so that you can get things explained which you don’t understand. For instance, if you routinely have sensitivity in a certain area, you should point that out to your dentist so that it can be investigated. When you get in the chair and say nothing, your doctor will have no way of knowing that something might be amiss.
Skip the appointment if you’re sick
There is a good reason to skip your dental appointment if you happen to be under the weather. Whenever your gums are scraped so as to remove tartar, they can become irritated, and small amounts of bacteria can actually be injected into the bloodstream via the mouth. This is a completely normal situation, but if you’re not feeling well to begin with, it can exacerbate the situation and cause you to feel much worse. It’s worth the delay to reschedule your dental appointment if you’re not feeling 100% healthy.
Bring in your oral appliance
If you’re a patient suffering from sleep apnea, and you wear a breathing device at night for opening your airway, you should bring this in when you have your dental appointment. Because tartar can form on your breathing device just like it can form on your teeth, that tartar needs to be removed so that your breathing remains free. Many dentists have ultrasonic cleaning devices in their office which can accomplish the cleaning while your teeth are being operated on.
When you’re ready for an teeth cleaning appointment
If you’re moving into the North Andover area of Massachusetts, you’ll want to start off on the right foot with your dental hygiene. Contact Dr. Gary Demetriou for your first dental appointment, and give yourself the opportunity to have your oral care come under the watchful monitoring of a world-class DMD, right in your neighborhood.