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A good relationship with your dentist is essential to good oral health care. You should always feel comfortable with your dentist so you can arrive for each visit with a smile. Dental practices work very hard to ensure your safety and health. Feel free to ask questions and communicate any concerns you may have so your dentist, hygienist, or dental assistant can properly address them. Here are some key questions to ask your dentist about your dental and oral care.
Can I get a copy of my dental records?
Talk with your dentist about getting a copy of your dental records. Dentists covered by the HIPAA privacy rule are required to provide patients with a copy of their records and state law may also apply.
The ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct states: "A dentist has the ethical obligation on request of either the patient or the patient's new dentist to furnish, either gratuitously or for nominal cost, such dental records or copies or summaries of them, including dental X-rays or copies of them, as will be beneficial for the future treatment of that patient. This obligation exists whether or not the patient's account is paid in full."
What happens if I miss a dental appointment?
Dental offices vary on their policies of missed appointments. Ask your dentist about his or her policy. Many dentists ask that you call to cancel an appointment at least 24 hours in advance. This will allow time for office staff to find someone else for your scheduled appointment. Those who don't call to cancel may be charged all or a portion of an office visit.
When should you cancel an appointment if you feel ill? If you feel up to the visit, keep it — unless you've got a fever, strep throat, can't breathe well or are too uncomfortable to sit in the chair. Some dentists also request patients to cancel if they have an active herpes virus or a cold sore around the mouth. If in doubt, ask your dentist if the visit should be rescheduled.
Do you sterilize all your instruments, including dental drills between patients?
In keeping with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Dental Association, and OSAP recommendations, your dentist should be heat-sterilizing all instruments that penetrate or contact a patient's oral tissues. Although autoclaves are most commonly used to sterilize dental instruments, some offices may have other types of heat sterilizers. Chemical-vapor sterilizers ("Chemiclaves") and dry-heat sterilizers also are appropriate for sterilizing dental instruments. Your dentist (or his or her staff) should heat-sterilize instruments that have been used on a patient before they are introduced to treat the next patient.
Most dental instruments are designed to withstand repeated heat sterilization. For the few instruments that may be destroyed with exposure to heat, your dentist should be using a high-level chemical disinfectant bath to ensure that any disease-causing agents left on instruments are not passed from one patient to another.
Among the dentist's recommendations, which treatments are absolutely necessary? Which are elective? Which are cosmetic? Which procedures are urgently needed, and which ones are less urgent?
Your dentist should be able to prioritize a treatment schedule to help you distinguish problems needing immediate attention from those that are less urgent. Often, treatment can be phased in over time. Be sure you understand the consequences of delaying treatment.
Do you change your gloves for every patient?
Every dental care provider should use new gloves for each and every patient. For procedures that are likely to involve splash or spatter, your dental team will also don a new mask as well as wear protective eyewear and apparel (possibly a gown or clinic jacket).
Sources:
Anastasia L. Turchetta RDH, www.AnastasiaRDH.com, http://twitter.com/AnastasiaRDH
http://www.yourdentistryguide.com
www.ada.org
www.cdc.org
www.osap.org
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MC Ortega is the former publicist for the late Walter Payton and Coca-Cola. Ortega is a senior communications and messaging executive specializing in media relations, social media, program development and crisis communications. Also, Ortega is an avid traveler and international shopper. Ortega resides with her partner, Craig, dog, Fionne and extensive shoe collection. Ortega also enjoys jewelry design/production and flamenco dancing.
Add a Comment6 Comments
Hello,
Well My dentist cleaned out my team the other day and she said If I don't re evaluate my oral habits, I'll lose all my teeth by 40, so, I started flossing and I find that I bleed abit. But its been about 2 or 3 weeks now, and I was wondering when could I see improvements or changes?
Thanks
December 12, 2010 - 5:09amThis Comment
Hi,
It really depends on what improvements/changes were recommended, what the treatment outcome and goals are...and what you have been diagnosed with (or any oral conditions you have).
Can you tell us:
December 14, 2010 - 10:36am- What specifically did your doctor say was wrong with your teeth and gums?
- What were your previous oral habits?
- Why did your doctor say you would lose your teeth by age 40; exactly what was diagnosed as your condition?
- What improvements or goals did your doctor expect from flossing (and no other treatments, correct)?
This Comment
Hello
I'm not exactly quite sure,
December 14, 2010 - 3:36pmbut last time I checked she said I had gingivitis,
and that my gums were bleeding quite abit.
This Comment
Here is more information about gingivitis and gum disease that may help answer your questions:
- Gingivitis Definition
- The Basics of Gum Disease
December 23, 2010 - 9:37amThis Comment
am 16 am have gaps all aaround me fornt teeth i feels quite ashamed wehen am i with my friends as they all hae perfect teeth ... wen i was 9 or 10 i had braces they kept fallng off now my dentist tells me i carnt get them fixed because i have has to mutch tretment on them i need to find a way to fill them any helpp !!!?
January 3, 2010 - 8:07pmThis Comment
Kloecat,
I'm not understanding how you can not have your teeth fixed because you had too much treatment? Can you ask for more explanation of what damage has been done to your teeth?
You have a few options:
1. Ask for a copy of your dental medical records
2. If you are on your parents' or guardian's health insurance, check with them, but you may want to get a second opinion from another doctor.
I am more concerned with your teeth being so damaged from previous treatments that you can not have the option of fixing them, and would want to know what the health status of your teeth are. Then, secondary (although it is your primary concern at this point) are the gaps in your teeth. I feel this is secondary only because of the way you describe this problem as an issue because you "feel ashamed when you are with your friends who all have perfect teeth". I'm sure this is an exaggeration, even if it feels like the truth, and being a responsible consumer of health care, and seeking other doctors, means that you need to put your health as priority...not when compared to your "perfect" friends...but because it is your body, and your teeth!
January 3, 2010 - 9:08pmThis Comment