Wear a mask

Do’s & Don’ts Before Your Dental Cleaning

Do’s & Don’ts Before Your Dental Cleaning

Do you get nervous before your dental cleanings? Are you worried about what your dentist will think of your dental hygiene habits? At Dr. Bowyer’s office, we want to help you be as comfortable as possible for your regular dental cleanings as well as get the best care possible. Below are some do’s and don’ts for you to follow before your next dental cleaning to ensure that you have a worry-free experience and get the most out of your visit. Additionally, we have added a few tips to remind patients of our new COVID-19 protocol that will ensure our patients and staff stay safe during their visit.

Do

Remove mouth jewelry. Lip & tongue piercings can get in the way or cause extra complications when you go in for your dental cleaning. It is always best to temporarily remove the piercings when possible to allow your dentist full access to examine your mouth.

Wear a mask. To keep our staff and fellow patients safe, we request that all patients wear a mask upon entering our offices. While you will not wear a mask while we are working in your mouth, whenever possible we will advise you to keep your mask on.

Eat a healthy breakfast/lunch. In most cases, you will need to avoid food and drink for some time after your dental cleaning. As such, we would recommend that you eat a well-rounded breakfast and/or lunch before your appointment to ensure that you don’t get too hungry after your appointment. Eating a protein heavy lunch and hydrating before coming to the office, will give you energy both during your appointment and after.

Take ibuprofen. If you have experienced pain during or after prior dental cleanings, you may take ibuprofen to help you become more comfortable. If you have questions about whether this is a good solution for you, please contact our office and Dr. Bowyer will advise.

Remove or avoid lipstick. Lipstick can prevent visibility of sores and other conditions on your lips. Therefore, in order to ensure we are able to provide you the best care possible, you should remove all lip coloring prior to your appointment.

Don’t

Come into the office if sick. For the safety of our staff and other patients, we request that any patient who are experiencing symptoms of illness avoid coming into the office. This is even more important with the COVID-19 outbreak, but is not exclusive to the symptoms of this pandemic. Whether you have symptoms of a cold, the flu or a potential case of COVID-19, please reschedule your appointment and only come into the office once you are feeling better.

Overbrush. We know the inclination of many patients is to try to prep for your dentist appointment with extra care in your dental routine. However, it is helpful for us to see what problems areas might be missed in your normal care. Try to keep the good habits up all year long so you don’t feel the need to step it up right before your appointment.

Use whitening strips or other whitening products. Whitening products can make your teeth more sensitive, which can result in a more painful dental cleaning. If you are concerned about the color of your teeth, let Dr. Bowyer know and we can help advise on you can achieve your desired teeth whitening.

Drink coffee. If you have anxiety about going to the dentist or tend to have painful dental cleanings, Dr. Bowyer recommends avoiding caffeine before your appointment. Caffeine is one of the leading causes of anxiety, and can result in a panic attack.

Bring people with you. While under normal circumstances, we are happy to have friends and family come into the office, with the current pandemic, we ask that only patients with appointments enter the office. Friends and family who are driving you should wait in their car.

Come into the office before your appointment. We are no longer making use of our waiting area for patients, so as to minimize contact. Feel free to arrive early, but please wait in the parking lot until your appointment time.

If you are interested in scheduling a preventative cleaning with Dr. Bowyer, call our office at (360) 253-2640 or use the form to schedule your appointment