Medical conditions and dental care
Your mouth is part of your overall health, and dental care sometimes needs to be adjusted when your health, medications, allergies, or medical treatment changes. An accurate history helps the dentist plan examinations, imaging, local anaesthetic, prescriptions, bleeding precautions, healing, and sedation more safely.
Before your appointment
Update the team at every visit.
Bring a current medication and supplement list, and call before treatment if a recent health change may affect your appointment.
(905) 420-1777What should I tell the dental team?
Share diagnosed conditions, recent symptoms being investigated, surgeries, hospital visits, pregnancy status, allergies, and previous reactions to dental or medical treatment. Include prescription and non-prescription medications, herbal products, inhalers, injections, and supplements.
Relevant topics include:
This list is not exhaustive. The dentist decides what is relevant to the proposed care and may ask permission to communicate with another healthcare professional.
Diabetes and oral health
People with diabetes can experience dry mouth, a higher risk of some oral infections, and changes in gum health or healing. Gum inflammation and blood-glucose management can also influence one another, which is why ongoing dental and medical care are both important.
Tell the office how your diabetes is managed, when you usually eat and take medication, whether you have had low blood sugar, and whether your control or prescriptions have recently changed. Do not change insulin, food, or medication for a dental appointment unless the appropriate healthcare professional gives you specific instructions.
Medications, bleeding, and dental procedures
Blood thinners, antiplatelet drugs, and some supplements can affect bleeding. Other medications can contribute to dry mouth, gum changes, taste changes, dizziness, or interactions with dental prescriptions.
Never stop or alter a prescribed medication on your own. The dentist may adjust the treatment plan, request information, use local bleeding-control measures, or consult the prescriber when needed.
Antibiotics before dental treatment
Antibiotic premedication is not automatically required for everyone with a heart condition, artificial joint, or prior surgery. Recommendations depend on current guidance and the individual's medical and dental situation.
Tell the dentist about any previous advice to take antibiotics, the reason it was given, allergies, and the name of the physician or specialist involved. The dental and medical professionals can determine whether current care requires coordination.
Cancer treatment and immune suppression
Chemotherapy, radiation, immune-modifying therapy, and some medications can affect the mouth, infection risk, bleeding, salivary flow, and healing. When possible, dental assessment before certain treatments can help identify concerns that should be addressed or monitored.
If treatment is already underway, provide the healthcare team's contact information and current schedule. The dentist may need to coordinate timing, laboratory information, or the safest scope of care.
Changes in the mouth that deserve attention
A dental examination can identify ulcers, red or white areas, lumps, swelling, unusual bleeding, dry mouth, infection, tooth wear, or gum changes. Most findings are not diagnosed by appearance alone.
Arrange an assessment for a sore, patch, lump, or unexplained change that does not resolve as expected, especially if it persists for about two weeks.
Seek urgent medical help for difficulty breathing or swallowing, rapidly spreading swelling, or another severe symptom.
Eating disorders, reflux, and oral health
Restricted nutrition, reflux, and vomiting can affect enamel, sensitivity, saliva, gums, and soft tissues. These conditions deserve respectful, confidential, coordinated care. A dentist can help manage oral effects, but diagnosis and treatment of the underlying condition belong with appropriately qualified medical and mental-health professionals.
Your information remains important after the form is completed
Health histories are not one-time paperwork. Tell the team about new prescriptions, dose changes, pregnancy, surgery, a hospital stay, a new diagnosis, or a change in symptoms before each course of treatment.
If you are uncertain whether something matters, include it and let the dentist decide.
Where to next
Call (905) 420-1777 with a pre-treatment health update.
Do not send sensitive medical details through an unsecured form.
Your mouth is part of your overall health, and dental care sometimes needs to be adjusted when your health, medications, allergies, or medical treatment changes. An accurate history helps the dentist plan care more safely.
Before your appointment
Update the team at every visit.
Bring a current medication and supplement list, and call before treatment if a recent health change may affect your appointment.
(905) 420-1777What should I tell the dental team?
Share diagnosed conditions, recent symptoms being investigated, surgeries, hospital visits, pregnancy status, allergies, and previous reactions to dental or medical treatment. Include prescription and non-prescription medications, herbal products, inhalers, injections, and supplements.
Relevant topics include:
- diabetes and blood-glucose management;
- heart and blood-vessel conditions;
- bleeding or clotting conditions and blood-thinning medication;
- kidney or liver disease;
- immune suppression, organ transplant, or autoimmune disease;
- cancer treatment, radiation involving the head or neck, or bone-modifying medication;
- respiratory disease, sleep apnea, or breathing concerns;
- osteoporosis and related medication;
- seizures, neurological conditions, or mobility needs;
- anxiety, eating disorders, reflux, or frequent vomiting; and
- artificial joints, heart-valve history, or previous advice about antibiotics.
This list is not exhaustive. The dentist decides what is relevant to the proposed care and may ask permission to communicate with another healthcare professional.
Diabetes and oral health
People with diabetes can experience dry mouth, a higher risk of some oral infections, and changes in gum health or healing. Gum inflammation and blood-glucose management can also influence one another, which is why ongoing dental and medical care are both important.
Tell the office how your diabetes is managed, when you usually eat and take medication, whether you have had low blood sugar, and whether your control or prescriptions have recently changed. Do not change insulin, food, or medication for a dental appointment unless the appropriate healthcare professional gives you specific instructions.
Medications, bleeding, and dental procedures
Blood thinners, antiplatelet drugs, and some supplements can affect bleeding. Other medications can contribute to dry mouth, gum changes, taste changes, dizziness, or interactions with dental prescriptions.
Never stop or alter a prescribed medication on your own. The dentist may adjust the treatment plan, request information, use local bleeding-control measures, or consult the prescriber when needed.
Antibiotics before dental treatment
Antibiotic premedication is not automatically required for everyone with a heart condition, artificial joint, or prior surgery. Recommendations depend on current guidance and the individual's medical and dental situation.
Tell the dentist about any previous advice to take antibiotics, the reason it was given, allergies, and the name of the physician or specialist involved.
Cancer treatment and immune suppression
Chemotherapy, radiation, immune-modifying therapy, and some medications can affect the mouth, infection risk, bleeding, salivary flow, and healing. When possible, dental assessment before certain treatments can help identify concerns that should be addressed or monitored.
If treatment is already underway, provide the healthcare team's contact information and current schedule. The dentist may need to coordinate timing, laboratory information, or the safest scope of care.
Changes in the mouth that deserve attention
A dental examination can identify ulcers, red or white areas, lumps, swelling, unusual bleeding, dry mouth, infection, tooth wear, or gum changes. Most findings are not diagnosed by appearance alone.
Arrange an assessment for a sore, patch, lump, or unexplained change that does not resolve as expected, especially if it persists for about two weeks.
Seek urgent medical help for difficulty breathing or swallowing, rapidly spreading swelling, or another severe symptom.
Eating disorders, reflux, and oral health
Restricted nutrition, reflux, and vomiting can affect enamel, sensitivity, saliva, gums, and soft tissues. These conditions deserve respectful, confidential, coordinated care. A dentist can help manage oral effects, but diagnosis and treatment of the underlying condition belong with appropriately qualified medical and mental-health professionals.
Your information remains important after the form
Health histories are not one-time paperwork. Tell the team about new prescriptions, dose changes, pregnancy, surgery, a hospital stay, a new diagnosis, or a change in symptoms before each course of treatment.
If you are uncertain whether something matters, include it and let the dentist decide.
Where to next
Call (905) 420-1777 with a pre-treatment health update.
Do not send sensitive medical details through an unsecured form.
