There is more than one dental clinic in Banff. That means that you have choices about what dentist to see. When you’re looking for a dentist, think about precisely what you want to accomplish with your dentist — preventative treatment alone? To deal with cavities of symptoms of gum disease? To replace missing teeth? To fix flaws in your teeth? Use your goals to filter the wide array of potential dentists, then look for a dentist with hours, location, communication style and personality that suit your needs and goals. Once you’ve found a dentist in Banff and have an appointment scheduled, here’s how to get ready for your appointment.
1. Call ahead to confirm:
Most dental clinics will call you a few days before your appointment to confirm the time. If you haven’t heard from your dentist, call a day before to confirm the time and anticipated duration of your appointment. If it’s possible to arrive early, try to get there 10 minutes before the appointed time to deal with any paperwork or administrative details.
2. Be prepared to provide your dental history:
When you attend your first appointment at a dentist near you, your dentist’s staff will ask about your complete dental history. If you’re transitioning from a dentist you’d seen before, the staff at the clinic may ask you to authorize them to get a hold of your prior dental records. If you have records of any prior treatment, take them along with you.
3. Disclose any and all prescriptions you’re taking:
If you’re taking any prescription medication, tell your dentist what those prescriptions are, the precise dosage you take and what medical conditions you treat with those prescriptions. If you don’t have all that information memorized, you can take the prescription bottles with you or get a list of current prescriptions from your pharmacist.
4. Be prepared to discuss financial arrangements:
This is especially important if you’re attending the dental clinic in Banff for the first time or will use dental insurance benefits to pay for treatment. Be sure to bring your insurance policy number and any information necessary to allow the clinic to process your claim. If you’re concerned about paying for treatment, this is also a good time to talk about any financing arrangements available through the clinic.
5. Set yourself up for success:
If you have experienced dental fear or anxiety in the past, do anything possible to minimize that natural fear — fear that may feel worse if you’re seeing a new dentist. Two ways to do that are to: try and get a good night’s sleep the night before; and avoid drinking caffeine before your appointment. The most important tip on this topic is this — be upfront with your dentist about your past dental fear and anxiety. The staff at your dental clinic in Banff will describe sedation dentistry options to help you relax during treatment or simply offer other amenities to ease your anxiety — things like wearing headphones to listen to music, watching television to be distracted, etc.
6. Anticipate emergencies:
If you haven’t already done so, ask your dentist how to reach them in case of emergencies after hours. While there are some 24-hour clinics, other dental clinics simply have an after-hours phone number or answering service or refer patients to other clinics for handling dental emergencies. While no one wants to anticipate facing an emergency, the worst case scenario is to find yourself in the midst of an emergency without knowing how to get help.
If you’re looking for your first or for a new dentist, don’t hesitate to contact the staff at Banff Dental Care. We’d love to get to know you, to learn about your dental needs and to help you meet your personal goals.