A mild cold with moderate symptoms shouldn’t stop you from seeing your dentist on the set appointment date.
However, if you’re experiencing symptoms like runny nose, fever, and nausea, you should reschedule your appointment.
Although it’s not pleasant to get ill, especially when we catch a cold, most of us still keep going with the work, other chores, and last-minute errands. Rescheduling or canceling an appointment will be your call, considering your inner strength and power.
Whether To Cancel Your Dental Appointment Or Not
Even if you’re suffering from cold symptoms, you must do your best to attend your regular dental checkup or dental cleaning appointments. Lengthy appointments like root canal therapy or dental surgery should be avoided. In any case, call your dentist and decide together.
With a cold virus, the bacteria count immensely increases in the head and neck region, including your nose and mouth. To counterbalance the bacterial population, the mouth produces more saliva and also processes a large amount of fluid from nasal passages.
Self-evaluation of symptoms like flu, congestion, sneezing, and cough can stop you from appearing to the dentist, and you must call your dental office for the right suggestion,
Consider these factors in mind before visiting your dentist:
- Make sure that you brush your teeth before seeing your dentist.
- The nasal fluid may cause difficulty in breathing once you lie down in the dental chair. Make sure that all the mucous in your mouth and nose are cleared before you lie down.
- Inform your dentist about any over-the-counter medication that you’ve been taking for the condition.
- Make sure that you’re able to breathe through your nose as the mouth breathing will make the dental mirror foggy, extending the time spent in the dental chair.
Understanding the Impact of a Cold on Dental Visits
Risks of Spreading Illness at the Dentist’s Office
Communal spaces like dental offices can serve as a hub for rapidly spreading infection. If you’ve got a cold, you may transfer it immediately to other patients waiting in the waiting area, especially those with a weakened immune system.
Dental staff, including dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants, are also at risk of catching a cold, which may affect their work routine and ability to provide care for other patients.
Moreover, sneezing and coughing air droplets are phenomenal at contaminating surfaces and instruments despite rigorous sanitation protocols.
Importance of Communicating with Your Dentist
It would be best if you informed your dentist about your cold symptoms before visiting. This allows the dental staff to make informed decisions about your health and can better help you decide whether to proceed or reschedule the appointment.
If there’s a dental emergency and the visit can’t be postponed until the health is restored, extra precautions can help minimize the risk of spreading infections.
Know The Common Cold
Cold is an upper respiratory tract infection and is called common cold as it’s commonly acquired by people. It is caused by multiple viruses, commonly rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and coronaviruses.
Colds are not serious and won’t cause medical issues, but they may appear with multiple symptoms. In an attempt to expel viruses out of the body, the immune system sometimes causes symptoms like headache, runny nose, sneezing, cough, scratchy throat, and fever.
Are You Contagious?
The ‘better safe than sorry’ principle becomes important when dealing with contagious conditions like the common cold. A cold starts with a sore throat and mild symptoms and can convert to full-blown symptoms like cough or sneeze.
You’re contagious 3 to 4 days before the symptoms appear, and you stay contagious until you’re sick, maybe a week or two.
It’s a very commonly spreading infection, and it often spreads through airborne droplets when coughed or sneezed by a sick person. As soon as the healthy person inhales the infected air, the person falls ill.
Make Sure You Have Got Good Hygiene at A Dental Office
If you have decided to see your dentist on the book appointment despite having a cold, make sure you follow certain things to prevent the spread of infection:
- Use sanitizer, especially after touching surfaces.
- Cover your nose and mouth while sneezing and coughing.
- Carry a pack of tissues with you to handle sneezes
- Avoid touching your face with your hands, as they may contain germs and may give rise to face boils or pimples.
- Remind the dental staff about your condition so that they may take necessary precautions.
Dental Health Tips When Suffering With a Cold
Drink Plenty of Water: A lot of water will not only help relieve the symptoms of a cold, but it will also improve your overall health and dental health. When sick, your body loses fluids, making you feel dehydrated.
This keeps your mouth at risk of bacteria acting on your teeth and gums. What worsens this situation is your mouth breathing due to a clogged nose, which invites multiple microbes from the air into your mouth
Replace Your Toothbrush: Once you’ve recovered from the cold, you must replace your toothbrush. This will prevent you from catching a cold once again with the contaminated toothbrush.
Gargle with Mouthwash or Saltwater: Gargling helps you get rid of harmful bacteria, eliminating a lot of problems like dental plaque and bad breath. Just dissolve a tablespoon of salt into a glass of lukewarm water to prepare a salt water rinse for yourself.
