Most dental organizations recommend seeing your dentist for preventive care at least twice a year. This gives patients an opportunity to figure out if they have any outstanding oral health problems and to ask any questions about how to better their dental hygiene.
If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while, you might not really know what to say at a checkup. If you’re curious, here are a few things you may want to ask about.
Daily Hygiene
You’re probably aware that most dentists will ask about what you do each day to take care of your teeth. They don’t do this to shame you—they want to help you to make your oral health as good as it can be.
You can be proactive by asking your dentist what they think you should be doing to improve your oral health. While checkups and cleanings are important, the most critical dental care you’ll do will be on your own, so you should ensure that you’re doing the best that you can.
Medications or Supplements
It’s typically recommended to talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements, and that’s typically necessary before being prescribed medications. However, your doctor may not know as much about the ways that certain medications can impact your oral health as your dentist might.
If you’ve started any new medications since your last checkup, you may want to ask whether they’re likely to negatively impact the state of your oral health, and what you may be able to do to deal with that.
High Blood Pressure
If you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, you may not be aware that just about every appointment you have with them will involve them checking your blood pressure. That’s partially because certain anesthetics can cause problems if you’re hypertensive.
Heart disease is incredibly serious, and unfortunately, also fairly common. High blood pressure is a common indicator of a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, so it’s worth asking your dentist whether yours is worth any kind of concern.
About the Author
Over the years, Dr. Marc Thomas has put in the work to build a reputation among his patients for high-quality, personalized dental care. He’s done that not only by constantly growing his clinical knowledge, but by treating every patient that he sees with compassion. Dr. Thomas received his degree from the University of the Pacific before honing his skills in the US Army Dental Corps. He’s currently a member of the Seattle Study Club and the American Academy of General Dentistry.
If you have questions about an upcoming checkup, he can be reached at our website or by phone at (775) 626-3535.