If you forgot about your dentist appointment the day you spontaneously decided to smoke some weed with your friends, you might be wondering if the dentist will be able to tell you are high.
In this article, we will give you the answer to that question as well as some extra information that should inform your decision not to smoke weed before your dentist appointment.
Can A Dentist Tell If You Smoke Weed?
Well, it depends. If you have smoked weed right before visiting your dentist, then he or she will most likely be able to tell.
Firstly, your breath will smell like weed, which can happen even when you snack on some edibles instead of smoking a joint (see also “Why Do My Armpits Smell Like Weed?“).
Secondly, your behavior will probably be different, and that is something that your dentist will be able to realize soon enough.
Depending on the type of weed you smoke and your body’s and mind’s response to weed in general, you might start acting erratic, be more stressed and panicked, or go to the other end of the spectrum and “chill” to the point where you won’t even be able to keep your mouth open for long.
However, if you are not one of those people who look like they’ve just smoked weed (see also “Can You Smoke Weed On Twitch?“), there are many other reasons why you shouldn’t smoke it or eat edibles before going to the dentist.
What Impact Does Weed Have On My Oral Hygiene?
Cannabis usage, as you may assume, has a variety of adverse consequences on your oral hygiene. Marijuana use can cause oral health problems like:
Mouth Dryness
Mouth dryness is scientifically known as ‘xerostomia’ which literally means ‘dry mouth,’ and it is probably the most usual and easier identifiable impact of weed on your oral cavity.
It is a major oral health issue since when your saliva production is hindered, your saliva is not able to remove the bacteria and food particles left in your mouth.
As a result, the chance of tooth decay and gum disease increases.
Discoloration Of The Teeth
Puffing away any substances, including weed, can cause tooth staining, yellowing, as well as discoloration.
Nevertheless, significant tooth discoloration from weed smoking is uncommon, unless you are a serious pothead.
Greater Chance Of Developing Oral Cancer
Even though weed contains fewer carcinogenic compounds than tobacco, inhaling such substances increases your chances of developing mouth cancer.
These are among the main effects of marijuana use on your oral health. Other consequences are likely to emerge as time passes and more studies are carried out.
How Can I Keep My Teeth Healthy When I Am Smoking Weed?
The most essential thing you should do is maintain good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth on a regular basis.
When you practice proper oral hygiene, your marijuana use will most likely have little effect on your oral health.
Either way, you should book your dental appointments and visit your dentist every six months for routine cleaning and oral tests.
Furthermore, after smoking weed, it is recommended to chew gum to facilitate salivary flow. This aids in reducing the symptoms of mouth dryness and preventing related oral health problems.
You may even want to think about buying a vaping device or eating edibles and stopping smoking weed as, according to an ongoing study, vaping is less harmful than smoking weed and has fewer damaging consequences on your dental health and respiratory system (see also “Does Smoking Weed Make You Age?“).
Can You Be Stoned When Visiting Your Dentist?
You might well be curious to know if it’s possible to be stoned when visiting your dentist since you’ll be visiting him or her more frequently for preventive healthcare.
Visiting your dentist can be a nerve-wracking thing for several people, therefore it’s no surprise that they need to smoke some weed beforehand to relax.
Even so, smoking marijuana before seeing your dentist is not recommended. Rather than smoking a blunt, discuss with your dentist anesthesia options when you’re nervous about what follows.
You may also start to wonder why you need to avoid getting stoned before visiting the dentist.
Panic, paranoid delusions, and hyperactivity, as stated by the ADA, could render the situation even more challenging for you. It may also impair the doctor’s ability to finish their work.
Sedatives And Marijuana
Normally, not all individuals are impacted in the same manner by marijuana. Even if you don’t really feel those adverse effects, you might want to keep your edible in your bag and enjoy it later in the day.
It’s recommended that you avoid smoking weed or eating edibles before and after having one of your teeth extracted at the dentist. This is because marijuana could start interfering with the anesthetics.
You might also require more anesthetic than the normal quantity, which could be fatal and both you and your dentist should certainly avoid doing.
Furthermore, given the impact that marijuana has on the heart, anesthetics containing epinephrine could be unsafe to use.
According to the American Dental Association, marijuana can end up causing a racing heart, so your dentist could choose not to treat you or tell you to revisit them another day.
Giving Consent
Just like with donating blood, there is a legal problem with performing irreversible operations on a drunk or high person, so getting your tooth extracted while you are stoned is not going to happen.
Why is that? Simply because the reliability of your informed consent will be called into question, and for good reason.
When we are under the influence of drugs or other substances, we might proceed with acting in ways that might be impulsive or not fully conscious, and if you ever got high or drunk, you probably know what that is like.
Therefore, professionals like dentists and surgeons would take a great risk by accepting to treat you or operate on you while you are stoned, which is why it won’t happen.
The Bottom Line
While you can smoke weed without your dentist being able to tell, you should probably not as it will result in your appointment being postponed.
So, wait until your appointment has ended and the anesthetic (if you had any) is no longer in effect before you smoke some weed.
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