Do you clean your teeth before visiting your doc's?

During my most recent visit to my drs. I was asked to take some deep breaths in and out through an open mouth while my dr auscultated my chest.

Nothing new with that. But it occurred to me, whether patients clean their teeth prior to visiting their drs.

When the exam was over and I was re dressing, I posed the question to my dr. She laughed and said that I would be surprised how many patients don't. She said she politely asks them to turn their heads away from her as they breathe in and out

I always clean my teeth and eat chewing gum if I know I'm going. I did however read somewhere that a dr may smell your breath as it can sometimes identify infections or an underlying health problem.

So, just out of interest, how many people do likewise and clean their teeth? Does it matter or not?

~ Nicole

Always! I am also one who carries travel size mouthwash, sugarless breath mints and sugarless gum without aspartame a.k.a nutrasweet. Interesting fact, so do my physicians and the majority of their staffs. If I smell bad breath from someone I am around, I will change my gum take a new piece and offer that person some. The gum, breathmints offered are rarely refused. It is one way to freshen the air without insulting someone if the gum and breathmints are offered in a casual, easygoing, non judgemental way. There are people who have problems with acute and chronic halitosis. The underlying cause of the halitosis can be everything from a simple infection to something serious. The cultprit of the halitosis can be many things. Its worth checking into if its a problem for you. Certain foods can also be the cause.

Don't forget to brush and floss those teeth, your tongue and the top of your mouth. Mouth wash and gargle also make a difference.

...Pass the gum and breathmints!

Andie

Certain foods can also be the cause.

The current fad seems to run to promoting the use of garlic in just about anything that isn't a cookie or candy. Ostensibly because of the health benefits ... it's very difficult to find any kind of prepared meal (pizza, prepared dishes or sauces for instance) that doesn't contain the the stuff ... Shopping can end up being a continuous perusal of the small print of the contents of a product, just to make sure it's garlic free. And even then, some companies put it down under the generic label of spices ...

I've always wondered about the standard line in romantic comedies where going for a meal and sharing garlic bread is considered the acme of romanticism ... and then end up intimate afterwards? Oh boy ...

Agracier,

Don't forget natural flavors, natural oils, organic spices, organic flavors, etc etc etc. I have LOVED garlic since I was a young child. I agree, eating garlic before closeness and intimacy is not arousing or erotic in my opinion.

...Parsley anyone?...STRONG breathmints, mouthwash, STRONG gum?...

Speaking of garlic... My Grandfathers nephew was our family dentist who also did all of our orthdontia work. My brother was 15 and had an appointment for his braces. Sometimes my brothers sense of humor backfired on him. He went out to lunch with my girlfriend and I right before his appointment. This establishment had excellent burgers. If you LOVE garlic, they had a burger that would more than satisfy your love of garlic and beef combined. My brother ordered this burger along with onion rings on purpose. He wanted to see the expression on Dr... and his staff when they realized how bad his breath was.

My brother did not get the response he wanted. Without any reaction from the staff and our dentist, our dentist came back and handed my brother a tube of strong toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss and told him to brush for 10 minutes. They timed him for 10 minutes. Nothing else was said about it from our dentist or his staff. My brother also did not say anything. Needless to say my brother NEVER pulled that again. He was an incredible person and an incredible dentist. He passed away after a nasty car accident as his body was not able to recover well from the trauma combined with his excess size. He was a loving, selfless, compassionate giant. Love you and miss you!

agracier, Thank you for bringing this memory forward from the back of my long term memory!

Andie

ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS and so does my husband and our daughters.

I brush two or three times and floss at least once every single day.

It's a matter of being clean and protecting my oral health.

Garlic / onion / coffee breath is one thing, but stinky breath from plaque bacteria or biofilm as they like to call it now is a whole other ball game. You can tell what smells are from food and what is from bacteria. One smell is from someone who just ate, the other smell is from a slob.

Absolutely. I take care to reduce unpleasant odors whenever I'm going to encounter someone likely to smell them if present. It's polite.

Always very good hygiene before a doctor's visit (hopefully always 😃 )

I always clean my teeth carefully before doctor visit!

Of course it matters that you clean your teeth at LEAST twice a day. After all would you want someone with bad breath breathing over you, or worse still snogging you in an intimate moment. No way!

It's a bit like BO - no thanks and not acceptable. Personal hygiene should be imperative for everyone.

Always before going to docs

I was not going to comment on this thread, because I clean my teeth twice a day or more. I actually have a love affair with my Sonicare electric toothbrush and we have been very close for years. I mean very close. Let's just say, that my beloved electric toothbrush is not just used for cleaning my teeth 😃.

Lady Teddy, who is clean from top to bottom

Lady Teddy, "Let's just say, that my beloved electric toothbrush is not just used for cleaning my teeth 😃".

That sounds like some of the advice/comments I've heard on the "Big Bang Theory".

I'm a real "tool" person, and finding multiple uses for tools is always a good thing, and also being a Scot. . .Very thrifty! :-) Mike XOXO

I always clean my teeth before any professional appointment, especially doctors. How I would be humiliated if I had bad breath at the doctor due to the close quarters.

I always brush and rinse before going to the doctors (or just about any appointment / meeting for that matter). It's just common courtesy. I don't want them blowing stinky breath on me either.

I always pop a piece of gum or a mint before going in for any appointment.

I make sure my teeth are brushed for sure and i'll use mouthwash. i never chew gum, if i did then I probably would do that too.

I always clean my teeth before I have a doctors appointment.

I always make sure my teeth are brushed before leaving home. So I would say yes. Bad breath is just not a good thing to have period. Whether you are going to the doc or dentist or going to the store for beer

Yes of course

Always listerine

I eat garlic bread and Oreos...

Not really. I brush, floss, mouthwash, and repeat.

Good oral hygiene before any doctor's appointment is a must for me 😃

I would never think of not doing it. After all, they are going to check your mouth as well as everywhere else.

I tend to be really anal about my teeth being clean, so I personally always brush my teeth before I go to the doctors or any place else for that matter, but again, I'm really anal about clean teeth, clean breath, and everything else being clean.

Mashie

Being as how I have a "Porsche parked in my mouth" with crowns and implants, always!

Since we all should be brushing our teeth 3 times a day, I'd say everyone's answer to this question is YES! 😃

I know my answer is!

Yes. I brush my teeth and tongue then rinse and gargle with mouth wash right before I leave for the Dr's office. I also suck on some breath mints on the way there.

I always make sure I'm clean and brushed - even if I think the appointment will just be a chat

Do you think maybe she was kidding?

Andie and Nicole, the truth is, for general cleaning visits, they schedule the same amount of time for everybody to keep to a scehdule and they will do what they can in that time. Maybe in a periodontist's office they will spend extra time, but the fact is most patients have no idea what they are getting and a lesser job will be done when there is a lot of crap on the teeth. The dentist or hygienist will just think the patient who comes in a mess is a slob.