Let the Dentist Look past Your Swollen Gums

Dentists sometimes face the hardest job on the planet. Nobody wants to come and visit them! Thus, when patients do come in they are hesitant to be forthcoming with their problems. In some cases, they may even refuse to speak up because they are afraid they need to undergo painful or uncomfortable procedures. Therefore they would much rather not be too open with any twinge, pain or odd feeling they experience. Swollen gums are one of the most commonly ignored problems. When they are experienced the patient at times will even wait until the swelling has subsided before visiting the dentist!

Sometimes, the fault is not entirely on the side of the patient. The cause may simply be a misunderstanding about what the patient believes the dentist should be concerned with and what might fall under the jurisdiction of the family doctor. Of course, patients who don’t always keep their twice a year dentist appointments are also not very diligent about having a yearly physical exam done. This makes it hard for the dentist (who is somewhat caught in the middle) and for the patient who is not sure what to address and when to do so.

Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to remember to talk to a dentist about problems at hand. Whether the patient has swollen gums, bleeding gums or is experiencing any other kind of problem, a solution is at hand! First and foremost, patients should always provide their dentists with a completely medical history. Even if the diseases that run in the family have nothing to do with teeth or the mouth itself, the more the dentist knows about the patient and his background, the more successful and accurate any diagnosis will be.

Next, the patient must be honest about any and all changes he experienced in the mouth. Even if the swollen gums have not recurred in a few weeks, it should be reported and noted. If there are sores that seem to take a couple of weeks to heal, or unexplained sudden feelings of sensitivity to heat or cold, acidity or certain foods, the dentist needs to be made aware. Whenever possible, the patient also needs to remember to mention any medications he is taking, their dosages, and if there are any side effects he may have experienced while taking the medicines.

Dentists are very interested in learning about dry mouth, which is a common side effect experienced by those who take any number of medications. Being honest about personal oral hygiene is important, although most dentists can tell from looking at your mouth how often you brush and floss. Even if it is not as good or frequent as it should be, being open about this will make the dentist’s job a lot easier. At the same time, often the lack of enthusiasm for oral hygiene is related to pain or discomfort experienced when using any one of the many commercially available toothpastes or oral rinses. Alerting the dentist to this may lead to recommendations for natural and organic products that will remove this obstacle to good, dental health.