What to expect?!


Question:

What to expect?

Going to the dentist. I haven't been to a dentist in a very long time and I mean a long time.Today I was chewing on a tootsie roll and my tooth broke, so I had to call a dentist. Now I have appointment tomorrow, do you think they will fix the tooth then or would I have to come back for another appointment. It doesn't hurt, kinda more annoying than anything and hard to chew on the other side of my mouth. I know I should go to the dentist on a regular bases but it's just a pain in the ***. And it's not that I don't have insurance cuz I do. Been paying for it for 18 years, just never used it.Now ya know it's been over 18 years since I've been to a dentist.


Answers:

First of all, be aware of the fact that dental insurance is a supplement, not full coverage like medical insurance.

If the dentist has enough room in his/her schedule, getting that tooth fixed may be a possibility. But if you have other teeth that present more decay, those will be a priority. If you can't chew comfortably on the other side of your mouth, you may have a bigger problem than you know.

Because you haven't had regular cleanings, your gums may be sore, irritated, or you may have periodontal disease. This is not a reversible condition. You can stop the loss of gum tissue, but you cannot grow them back.

The assistant will take x-rays, the dentist will diagnose your treatment. The first visit usually involves processing paperwork and finding out exactly what needs to be done. There have been a lot of advances in dentistry in recent years; so don't psych yourself out. You should feel no pain; at the most you may feel some discomfort.

Relax, you'll be fine. I had a patient today who hadn't visited a dentist in 20 years due to a bad experience. Now her dental insurance will only cover 6 teeth out of the 9 that need work. I'm not saying this will happen to you. I am saying that it is much easier to keep regularly scheduled visits so you can avoid having the need for extensive, costly work.




The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories