Caring for an Elderly Parent With Special Dental Needs
What To Expect From Your First Dental Exam After A Long Hiatus
Joe Lawrence
If you haven't been to the dentist in years, and you have scheduled (or plan to schedule) an appointment, you should prepare for it differently than you would prepare for a regular appointment. This is because your first dental exam after a long time may not be an ordinary appointment. Here are some of the things you should expect or know about this appointment:
It's Likely to Take Longer than Typical Dental Appointments
The first thing is to expect your consultation to take longer than it would if you kept regular dental appointments. First of all, if you are seeing a dentist after a break of several years, you are probably seeing a new dentist. This means the dentist will need to take important health, dental and personal information from you, information that don't need to be duplicated in subsequent visits. You will also have a comprehensive oral examination. All these things require time, and you can't predict exactly how long you will need; therefore, just be a little cautious by not scheduling anything immediately after your appointment.
Bring Important Information Along With You
You should make it a point to carry all important information with you so that the dentist can have a comprehensive dental and health history information. Here is some of the information you should have:
· List of medications you are taking
· Any allergies you have
· Information on your dental insurance
Expect Cleaning or Plaque Removal
Regular brushing and flossing helps to clean the teeth and build plaque buildup. However, these don't do the job perfectly, and some plaque buildup eventually happens. This is why it's advisable to have regular dental cleanings from the dentist. However, if you haven't been seeing the dentist regularly as required, you probably have a sizable plaque buildup on your teeth. Your dentist will want to get rid of this as early as possible, which is why you should prepare for plaque removal on your first visit.
There Is a High Risk of a Cavity Discovery
Lastly, you should be psychologically prepared for the discovery of a dental cavity. This is not a given, but since a professional has not examined your teeth for a long time, and you haven't had dental care, you might have developed a cavity or two. If that is the case, then the dentist will schedule an appointment to deal with the cavity, most likely by filling them.
Contact a dentist, like Mainwaring John D DDS, for more help
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Caring for an elderly parent tends to be tough enough without the added stress of dealing with dental implants or dentures. But, the prospect is not the end of the world—there are many things you can do to ensure that your parent's dental health is not compromised without having to spend a lot of personal time doing the care yourself. Between working with the right dentist, hiring a service provider for part time work, and giving your parent the tools he or she needs to care for his or her own dental health at home, you'll find that dental health for your loved one isn't so tough or time consuming after all. Hopefully you are able to get the support and information you need right here.