It happens more than you'd think: you've got a cleaning on the calendar, and the morning of, a cold sore shows up on your lip. So what's the right call?
The honest answer for a routine visit
For a regular cleaning or any non-urgent appointment, it's usually best to reschedule until the cold sore has healed. Cold sores are caused by a common virus, and they're at their most contagious during the blister-and-weeping stage. A dental visit means stretching and touching the area around your lips, which can be genuinely uncomfortable when a sore is active — and can aggravate it or spread it. Waiting a week or so until it crusts over and heals is simply kinder to you.
When it's a different story
If you're in pain or dealing with a real dental emergency, don't tough it out — call us. We'll talk it through and figure out the safest way to get you out of pain. The "reschedule" advice is about elective visits, not emergencies.
If you're prone to cold sores
Some folks find that dental visits or lip-stretching tend to trigger them. If that's you, tell us ahead of time — we can take things slow and keep the area comfortable, and you can ask your physician whether a preventive antiviral before appointments makes sense for you.
The bottom line
When in doubt, just give us a call. No judgment, no hassle — we'll help you decide whether to come in or wait, and get you on the books either way at our Keene office.