Don’t be shy at your dental checkups! These biannual visits are about more than just keeping your smile clean. They’re also a great opportunity to learn more about your oral health and the efficiency of your at-home dental care routines. Here are five questions you should ask your Cambria dentist or hygienist each time you visit them for your regular checkup.
1.) Are My Medical Records Up to Date?
Have you started any new medications since your last dental appointment? If you’ve developed any new medical conditions, your dentist needs to know. Keeping your medical history up to date helps them provide the best possible care and prevent any possible procedure complications. Try writing down all the medications you are taking, have changed, or have stopped taking before going to your checkup so you can double check that it matches your dental chart.
2.) What Can I Do to Improve My Oral Health?
You’ll always be notified of any oral health issues that are discovered during your appointment and the best options for treating them. However, even if there were no problems detected, you should still ask your dentist or hygienist what you can do to improve the health of your teeth and gums. They’ll be more than happy to help you make the most out of your at-home oral hygiene.
3.) Why Do I Have Chronic Bad Breath or Dry Mouth?
If you’ve begun to experience unusual dental symptoms, you should let your dental team know. Even small, easily overlooked problems like persistent bad breath or dry mouth could be an early warning sign of a serious oral health issue. Pointing out these concerns to your dentist or hygienist may help them detect conditions like tooth decay or gum disease as early as possible.
4.) Why Is My Smile Uncomfortable?
Any pain, discomfort, or sensitivity in your mouth should be inspected by your dentist right away. Do your best to explain to them where the discomfort is and what it feels like. Even slight pain or sensitivity can sometimes indicate all manner of oral health issues, including teeth grinding, gum disease, bad brushing habits, or dental infections.
5.) When Can I Schedule My Next Appointment?
It can be easy to forget to make your next appointment if you put it off. Instead of running that risk, schedule your next visit before you leave the office. This ensures that your oral health doesn’t slip through the cracks. Remember, you should be getting your routine checkup and cleaning every six months or so.
Regularly visiting your dentist is about much more than ensuring your teeth are clean. Seize this excellent opportunity to learn more about your oral health and ask these five questions during your next visit!
About the Practice
At Cambria Smiles, we are proud to offer comprehensive dental care to help you overcome nearly any oral health issue. However, we would much rather prevent those issues from developing in the first place! Our highly experienced team of dentists uses the latest state-of-the-art dental technology to spot and stop problems before they have a chance to cause you any unnecessary damage or discomfort. If you have more questions about your oral health, feel free to reach out to us via our website or at (805) 927-4811.