Dentist while sick

I just realised I'm booked in for an 8am deep clean at the dentist tomorrow morning, and I'm sick with a head cold. It was bad Wednesday/Thursday last week, felt better Friday, but overdid it Friday/Saturday and I've been feeling pretty blah all day.

Should I not go tomorrow? My nose and sinuses are clogged, so breathing is a little difficult, and I've started coughing from the post-nasal drip.

I'm not really bad, but I don't know if the hygienist would prefer me not to be there... It's at 8am - the first appointment of the day, so I'll be stuffing them up if I only call at 8am to ask their opinion.

What would you do?

I wouldn't go, you have to breathe through your nose while they are working in your mouth so you don't inhale stuff. I would call and cancel if it was me.

Well since it's so last minute, maybe... call in the morning and say you woke up sick? I don't think I'd like to have a dentist appointment while I can't breathe either..

In any case, I hope you feel better soon!!!

If l felt how you feel l would cancel

As soon as I lay down for bed I started coughing, so I guess I'll definitely be cancelling. Dentists (maybe just mine?) get funny about last minute cancellations ...

I always tell my friends and family, no matter how much I love you, if you are sick then I consider you a plague ridden zombie and will point a large cross at you from arms length and spray lysol with my other hand in your direction if you approach my personal bubble. I don't hate you, I hate your cold... stay back! stay back I say!!!

So when in doubt, always best to stay home.

I've had a bunch of dental stuff lately so I've been chatting with my dentist and hygienist and they both commented on how they wished people would cancel when they're sick because it almost always goes badly. They might be more understanding about an illness than a regular cancellation.

I think you're right to stay home - I wouldn't want to sit there with my jaw cracked open an have a coughing fit.

I agree with the others here. Call your dentist's office and explain you're sick and reschedule your appointment in a week or two when you know you'll be feeling better. And don't worry about the dentist getting funny about cancellations.

I hope you stayed home today. All docs hate last minute cancellations; but every doc I've worked for understands when someone is sick. (I worked for a specialist; not someone who you needed to see with a cold or the flu!) It's not like it's a regular thing either!

Originally Posted by sarahp

As soon as I lay down for bed I started coughing, so I guess I'll definitely be cancelling. Dentists (maybe just mine?) get funny about last minute cancellations ...

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If you're sick, you're sick. Most offices have provisions for that. Besides if you have a cold, that means you could possible start coughing during the procedure. Are you sure you want to do that with a drill running in your mouth?