When your dentist greets you warmly and asks about your family or work, you may be thinking these are signs your dentist likes you. They're also just signs that you have a quality dentist who cares about you and wants you to be comfortable during your dental appointment.
Close to 90% of our respondents agree that friendship between patients and dentists is possible!
A dentist with empathy skills knows how his or her patient feels and is willing to provide emotional support. When the patient says, “I feel lousy because my friends ridicule me for my bad breathe or crooked teeth” and the dentist is able to respond by saying, “Well, I understand how you feel.
During routine dental examinations and cleanings, dentists can detect oral symptoms of stress, including orofacial pain, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMJ), mouth sores and gum disease. If you're feeling tense or anxious, you should keep a watchful eye for signs of the following stress-related disorders.
"Often, diseases like cancer, anemia and diabetes will first be identified by the dentist in a regular examination, and this saves lives." And it's not just diseases—dentists can discover everything from your bad habits to your favorite beverages simply by asking you to say, "Ahh!" 1.
2. Examining Your Tongue: Upon a closer examination of the tongue, your dentist will check the size and texture of the tongue to ensure a healthy mouth. Your tongue's size and surface can determine a lot about your dental health, as well as your overall health.
'” Usually, dental patients in pain or the throes of anxiety will close their eyes. That's not a problem, dentists say, unless they're tensing up the rest of their faces, too.
In recent years, scientific research has discovered a close link between oral and overall health. There are many conditions we can identify during a visual examination of your oral cavity, even if you don't know you suffer from them. This includes mental health problems such as depression.
Your dentist may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, such as diazepam (Valium), that you can take one hour before a scheduled dental visit. Your dentist may also recommend conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”), which can help calm nerves.
If you're ever in pain or want your dentist to stop, put your hand up and they will immediately understand. Dentists are experts in this kind of patient communication and they will keep a close eye on you to make sure that you are comfortable.
Telling the Truth Provides Your Dentist With Important Information. The most important reason to tell your dentist the truth is that it will help them make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. It lets your dentist know your starting point so they can adjust their suggestions.
So, while professional judgment may not necessarily be impaired in such circumstances, it certainly could be, which means that a dating relationship between a dentist and a patient is one that the ADA Code recommends dentists should avoid.
Prolonged time without brushing your teeth can cause tooth decay and gum disease to become more advanced, which can lead to receding gums and even tooth loss. Additional issues, including a higher risk for the onset of Alzheimer's disease, can be linked to high levels of unchecked bacteria in the mouth.
You might be experiencing dental anxiety, which is recognized by uneasiness or exaggerated fears about going to the dentist. It's also characterized by being embarrassed to go to the dentist because of the state of your mouth, how your teeth look, or being very close to a dentist during an appointment.
Dental anxiety is fear, anxiety or stress associated with a dental setting. Being scared to visit the dentist can result in delaying or avoiding dental treatment. Things like needles, drills or the dental setting in general can trigger dental anxiety.
As mentioned, lip care treatments can be done in the dental office. As dental professionals, we spend plenty of time near the lips of our patients. We can easily give them our opinion on how to take better care of their lips and how to perform these recommended lip care steps.
Your dentist will probably suggest options such as topical anesthetics to numb the affected area. Sedation dentistry is another option. Nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas, relaxes all but the most stressed patients, as can oral sedation, where the patient takes a small dose of an oral sedative.
Similarly to flossing, your dental team will also be able to tell if you don't brush your teeth often enough or even if you brush too hard. Those who don't brush the recommended two times a day will often have larger areas of tartar buildup and puffy, red gums.
With both hands, your Dentist will feel the external area under your jaw and the sides of your neck, checking for lumps (enlarged lymph nodes) that may suggest inflammation. Many times if these nodes are painless, but hard and enlarged, and feel like they are fixated in position, it can be a sign of cancer.
Your dentist will listen for jaw clicks and pops, test your bite, and check for tenderness or issues with your facial muscles. He or she may also take digital dental x-rays or order an MRI to see if something other than TMJ is causing your jaw pain.