As a young mother, I was reasonably ignorant when raising my firstborn. My biggest regret is that I didn't help her take better care of her teeth. Like many people, I didn't realise the importance of baby teeth, resulting in long-term dental problems. Recently, my daughter got married and some of my tears were for the beautiful, glistening smile she presented to the cameras. Ever since I realised the dental damage I had caused, I had been saving for my daughter to have cosmetic dentistry. The results are remarkable. During the course of this journey, I have learnt a lot about caring for children's teeth and corrective procedures that can be undertaken when issues arise. I am sure many of you would be interested in the latest knowledge and techniques that are available to prevent and repair dental complications. I'm Margret Devlin - thanks for visiting.
There is more to a dental appointment than simply getting your teeth fixed. It is an opportunity to get a lot of useful information from your doctor about various ways in which you can improve your dental health. Many people also have many concerns about visiting the dentist. The following are some important questions that can help make the treatment session easier and improve your dental health.
Anesthesia
One important thing to find out before treatment is the kind of anesthesia used and how long it will last. This information is crucial in knowing the right time to plan your dental appointment. With most procedures that use local anesthesia, you can be out of the clinic and back into your office in a matter of hours. However, some types of anesthesia require more recovery time, so you need to plan to take the rest of the day or some days off from work.
Dietary changes
Your oral health greatly affects your diet and vice versa. Most dentists are able to tell what you are eating by simply examining your mouth. Your diet can increase the frequency of cleanings and exams. After treatment, you should find out which foods to avoid and which ones to eat more often. You may be required to be on a soft diet immediately after treatment to allow healing.
Care and maintenance schedule
Your care and maintenance schedule should change or improve after visiting the dentist. Many people often brush inadequately or do not floss at all. Find out the proper care routine for good oral health in order to prevent other dental problems in future. Your doctor can also give you a customized plan for home care after treatments such as tooth extraction, implants, dentures and braces.
Talk to your family doctor
Oral health is linked to many other bodily conditions. During an oral examination, your doctor can also find other non-oral diseases that affect your mouth, which you should discuss with your family doctor or physician. They can also discover side effects from medication prescribed by your doctor that you should consider changing.
Be open
Many people will brush their teeth or use mints to freshen their breath before their dental appointment to avoid an embarrassing situation; this will only end up hiding the problem. Many problems affect your teeth that your doctor may not be able to tell. You should be open and ask as many questions as possible. Tell your doctor about any sensitivity or pain that you experience and what triggers it and they can advice you on the best course of action.
Share16 March 2015
