{"id":187,"date":"2025-03-03T20:48:16","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T20:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/?p=187"},"modified":"2025-04-28T20:49:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T20:49:39","slug":"you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"How You and Your Dentist Can Promote a Pain-Free Visit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-300x200.png\" alt=\"Patient smiling at her dentist\" class=\"wp-image-188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image.png 399w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve last had a dental checkup and cleaning, and there\u2019s a good reason for that. You\u2019re worried that this appointment will hurt your teeth. Maybe you\u2019ve had poor dental experiences in the past, or maybe you simply have extremely sensitive pearly whites. Either way, there are ways to <em>comfortably <\/em>receive the oral care you need. Keep reading to learn how you and your dentist can promote a pain-free experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take An OTC Pain Reliever<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It might sound simple, but sometimes the easy solutions are the most effective. Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever with anti-inflammatory properties (like ibuprofen) can help alleviate dental aches and soreness. The trick is to take your first dose about an hour before your appointment, and to <em>continue <\/em>to take them at regular intervals after your cleaning. This gives the medicine enough time to \u201ckick in\u201d and continue to work effectively throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Request A Numbing Agent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the OTC method doesn\u2019t quite do the trick, try asking your dentist for a numbing agent. Some practices will apply a simple topical anesthetic to dull the pain signals near the treatment area. With help from the anesthetic, you shouldn\u2019t feel any sharp, painful sensations \u2013 just some slight pressure as your dentist works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ask Your Dentist About Oral Conscious Sedation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A topical anesthetic works great for patients whose primary concern is physical pain. However, many patients also experience some degree of anxiety that can heighten their awareness and make their visit unpleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If that\u2019s the case for you, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/relieving-anxiety.html\">oral conscious sedation<\/a> might be a more effective solution. Your dentist will essentially prescribe you a sedative pill that you\u2019ll take shortly before your appointment. It won\u2019t \u201cknock you out,\u201d but it will dull your senses and help you feel more at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Talk to Your Dentist About Your Sensitivities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many other reasons why a dental checkup and cleaning can be uncomfortable. It\u2019s possible your teeth are simply more sensitive than average, or that you have thin enamel or a receded gumline. That\u2019s why it\u2019s best to talk to your dentist about your sensitivities. If you do have a condition that\u2019s making your pearly whites tender, they may be able to treat the issue. Together, the two of you can plan your ideal office visit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/meet-the-dentist.html\">Dr. E. Charles Beliveau<\/a> is a highly experienced dentist. He\u2019s trained with some of the most notable dentists in the field (such as Dr. Peter E. Dawson and Dr. Frank Spear) and has completed advanced training programs at several prestigious institutions (like the Pankey Institute). Dr. Beliveau is also able to provide oral conscious sedation for patients with dental anxiety. If you\u2019re looking for a more comfortable dental care experience, he would be happy to meet with you and discuss your needs! To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/contact-us.html\">contact<\/a> Dr. Beliveau\u2019s office, call 978-687-5900.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve last had a dental checkup and cleaning, and there\u2019s a good reason for that. You\u2019re worried that this appointment will hurt your teeth. Maybe you\u2019ve had poor dental experiences in the past, or maybe you simply have extremely sensitive pearly whites. Either way, there are ways to comfortably receive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How You and Your Dentist Can Promote a Pain-Free Visit | Charles Beliveau<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you worried your next checkup and cleaning will hurt? Here\u2019s what you and your dentist can do to relieve your discomfort.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How You and Your Dentist Can Promote a Pain-Free Visit | Charles Beliveau\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you worried your next checkup and cleaning will hurt? Here\u2019s what you and your dentist can do to relieve your discomfort.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Charles Beliveau Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-03T20:48:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-28T20:49:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliveaudental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-300x200.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Beliveau\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Beliveau\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dr. Beliveau\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6aa036d350f93ba272c125dbccf5ca80\"},\"headline\":\"How You and Your Dentist Can Promote a Pain-Free Visit\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-03T20:48:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-28T20:49:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":503,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/image-300x200.png\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/\",\"name\":\"How You and Your Dentist Can Promote a Pain-Free Visit | Charles Beliveau\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/you-and-dentist-promote-pain-free-visit\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/image-300x200.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-03T20:48:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-28T20:49:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beliveaudental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6aa036d350f93ba272c125dbccf5ca80\"},\"description\":\"Are you worried your next checkup and cleaning will hurt? 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