When you go to the doctor, you might think it is normal to fill out paperwork with information about your medical history. You might have always wondered why it is necessary to provide this information when you see the dentist, though. After all, it might not seem like your dentist really needs to know about all of your medical history just to clean your teeth or put in a filling. However, you should provide your dentist with all of this information for these reasons and more.

Your Dentist Can Help Watch Out for Signs of Health Issues

When performing an exam on your teeth and gums, your dentist may also check for signs of various health issues. For example, your dentist might be the first person to catch the signs of throat cancer. By knowing about your family medical history and personal medical history, your dentist will have an even better idea of what to look out for when performing these exams.

You May Need to Go Under Anesthesia

Depending on the type of dental care that you need, you may need to go under anesthesia. General anesthesia can be dangerous for some patients, though, so your doctor will probably ask a few questions about your health. Then, he or she can determine if anesthesia is an option, and if so, whether or not he or she needs to take additional precautions. In some cases,the dentist might decide that anesthesia is not safe and might choose another option, such as simply using a numbing agent in the mouth.

Your Dentist Might Prescribe You Medication

From time to time, your dentist might need to write you a prescription for various types of medication. For example, if you have an oral infection, you may need to take an antibiotic. If you are dealing with a lot of pain, then your dentist might prescribe you a prescription pain killer to help you get some relief. Of course, your dentist needs to know about your medical history in these situations. Then, he or she can be careful not to prescribe anything that you are allergic to or that might interact poorly with some of the other medications that you are on. Make sure that you keep your dentist informed about any allergies that you have or any medications that you might be taking. It's not a bad idea to bring a current list of your prescription medications to each dental visit so that they can keep this information on file.

For more information, contact professionals like Brookside Dental Associates.