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How To Get Ready to Meet Your New Dentist

Anticipate being asked a series of questions about your medical and dental history, and about any medications you may be taking. Take all details of any current medications with you, including the name, dosage, and frequency of any prescription medications. If you have any allergies or have had adverse reactions to dental treatment in the past — to sedation or pain medications, for example — be sure to discuss those issues with your dentist in St. Albert as well.

When attending a dentist near you for the first time for dental hygiene near you, you will likely be asked to fill out some paperwork just to establish your new patient-dentist relationship. For this reason, arrive at your appointment ten minutes early and expect to provide information about your current address, contact information, prior dentists, and any relevant insurance benefits information.

Think in advance of questions you want answered

When you get ready to meet with a new dentist near you for the first time, think about the questions you want to have answered. While the relevant questions will vary depending on the condition of your teeth and your particular needs, here are some excellent questions to consider asking your dentist:

  • How can you help me to brighten or straighten my smile?
  • Do you see any concerning issues with my teeth or gums?
  • What should I be doing at home to get my teeth and gums healthier?
  • What dental hygiene procedures do you recommend?

Keep up your commitment to dental hygiene

Leading into your appointment to discuss dental treatment and dental hygiene in St. Albert, be sure to maintain your daily dental hygiene habits: brush at least twice a day for two minutes at a time and floss between every tooth once daily. It’s not the time to neglect those habits, but neither is it the time to become too aggressive. Don’t start brushing harder just because a dentist near you is soon going to see your teeth. First, brushing harder may not get your teeth any cleaner. Second, brushing your teeth too hard can erode your tooth enamel and irritate your gums.

Don’t let dental anxiety or fear get in your way

Anxiety about visiting the dentist or even phobia of dentists or dental procedures is common, natural, and something that dentists and dental hygienists are familiar with and able to accommodate. What is most important is to not let those natural and solvable anxieties and fears interfere with your dental health.

When you do see your dentist in St. Albert, discuss your anxieties and fears with their staff. Dentists can offer solutions for anxiety, including several types and degrees of sedation depending on the procedures you’ll undergo and the extent of your anxiety.

In anticipation of your first appointment, how can you set yourself up for success to be sure your fear and anxiety doesn’t prevent you from meeting your dentist. Here are four tips for preparing for that first appointment:

  • If music or a podcast would help you to relax, feel free to bring some headphones with you
  • Leave and arrive early to make sure practicalities like traffic and looking for parking don’t make things even harder
  • Have a bite to eat before going to your appointment
  • Dress comfortably
  • Do the homework talked about above (preparing questions, etc.) so you don’t need to worry about coming up with questions on the spot.

Regular attendance at dental check-ups is one of the key elements of ensuring good dental health. If you don’t have a current dentist but want support to ensure the health of your teeth and gums, follow these suggestions for getting ready to meet a dentist to support your dental hygiene in St. Albert.