The pandemic presented a special problem for people needing dental care, since sitting for a while with an open mouth while someone gets very close to your face was the last thing anyone wanted to deal with. Now, the virus is still around, but people know they have to continue getting their teeth cleaned. Many people have successfully seen their dentist without becoming sick, so that should be a good sign if you've been extra worried. Still, that first dental cleaning after a few years can be nerve-wracking, but you can make it easier on yourself.

Go for the Ultrasonic Cleaning

Ultrasonic cleaning uses a special tool to help loosen dental plaque, making cleanings go faster. If it's been a while since you've been in for a cleaning, you'll want to ask for the ultrasonic cleaning because it's likely that you have a lot of plaque, even if you've done your best to care for your teeth in the past few years.

Ensure COVID Protocols Are Still in Place

If the pandemic kept you away from the dentist, you're not going to want to be in an office that does not have safety protocols in place. The virus is still going around, despite outward appearances that people are no longer paying attention to it. Yet many dental offices are still taking it very seriously. You'll want improved ventilation and filtration in the air system, and you'll want social distancing and masking to be the rule for people not in a dental chair.

Take Follow-up Work One Step at a Time

Not going to the dentist for a while does raise the risk of needing additional work, such as filling a cavity. If the cleaning and x-rays find that you have cavities or other problems that need to be addressed, take those one step at a time. Hearing that you need additional work can be anxiety-inducing and cause you to avoid the dentist even more, but if you take it slowly, that can help make you feel calmer. You'll want to combine what procedures you can (such as filling two cavities on the same side of your mouth at the same appointment), but don't suddenly feel the need to rush and do everything at once.

Contact your dentist's office and ask about COVID protocols and how they handle people who haven't been to the dentist since before the pandemic started. If their answers aren't satisfactory, start looking for a new dentist.

For more information, contact a dental office such as Family Dentistry Of Woodstock.