If you have asthma, it is important that you understand how the condition could be triggered by a visit to the dentist office. Below is a guide to everything you need to know about visiting the dentist if you have a diagnosis of asthma.
Triggers
Below is a guide to things which may trigger your asthma during a dental appointment.
Increased Anxiety: Not many people enjoy visiting the dentist. Even a routine check-up could cause you to become anxious. Anxiety and stress can cause your body to release hormones which increase your heart rate, tense your muscles, and cause more rapid breathing. These physiological changes can trigger an asthma attack. If you feel anxious before a dental appointment, you should let the dentist know. The dentist will be able to take steps to reduce your anxiety levels such as talking you through the procedure, administering sedatives or avoiding the use of invasive treatments.
Dental Treatments and Medications: There is a range of treatments and medications which could trigger your asthma, for example:
Informing your dentist of your asthma before the consultation will allow them to plan which treatments they are going to use and identify the proper materials, medication,s and tools they will need to carry out the work.
Prevention
If you have asthma and have a dental appointment, it is important that you take any prescribed anti-asthma medication before you attend the clinic. You should also ensure that you have your inhaler with you in case you have an asthma attack while in the dentist's chair. If you will be sedated during your treatment, you should inform the dentist or the dental nurse of your condition and ensure they understand how to administer the inhaler if you are unable to do so yourself. Your dentist may also take the additional precaution of having an oxygen tank nearby.
If you have asthma and are concerned about your dental health, you should contact your dentist today. They will be happy to treat you and to accommodate your medical condition.
Share3 March 2017
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
