Have you recently decided to visit a dentist after years of not going because you just qualified for Medicaid and can now receive financial assistance for your visit? If so, it is important to know the following things before going in for your appointment.
Let Your Dentist Know
The first thing you should do when making the appointment is to be honest with your dentist about how long it has been since you last had a cleaning and inspection is done. This is because dentists often set aside small windows for cleanings and inspections. If you are visiting the dentist for the first time in a while, it is possible that the dentist will not have enough time to perform your cleaning. This is a problem because you will end up needing to come back for a second appointment, which may not be covered if you are only allowed to have two cleanings per year.
If your dentist has a heads-up on how long it has been, they can block out a longer appointment time to ensure that your cleaning is done correctly.
Ask About Sedation Dentistry
Have you not visited the dentist in a long time due to a fear of going to the dentist? If so, know that this is something that your dentist can help with. There are sedation dentistry techniques that can help you get through the appointment if that has been what has stopped you. For example, you can take an oral sedative that will help you be more relaxed for your appointment. You'll need someone to take you to the dental office, but you won't end up backing out at the last moment.
Prepare For Discomfort
There is no way around the fact that your appointment is likely going to lead to some discomfort. The dentist will be trying to clean years of calcified tartar off your teeth as a result of not going to the dentist, which means more picking and scraping of your teeth to get rid of it all. You can expect there to be bleeding during the cleaning and soreness afterward as a result. You should plan to take a pain-relieving medication in order to help deal with the discomfort, so be sure to have something on hand that you can take. You can even ask your dentist about taking the pain reliever before the appointment to help preemptively deal with discomfort.
For more information, contact a Medicaid dentist near you.
Share15 July 2019
Halloween is a holiday that my children love, and telling them they can't go door-to-door collecting candy would break their hearts. This led me to allowing them to collect candy on the holiday, then rationing it out to them every day instead of letting them gobble it up in just a few days. I always thought this was better for them, but my dentist told me this could be the reason why their February dental check-ups were always their worst ones. Daily candy consumption was taking a toll on their teeth. I started a new tradition of letting them indulge for two days, then giving them the option to swap the rest with me in exchange for a new toy. They never pass on the opportunity for a new toy. I created this blog to encourage other parents find similar tactics to keep their children's teeth healthy after Halloween.