Protect your smile with preventive care
Dental Exams
& cleanings
If you do not have periodontal disease, your dental exam and cleaning appointments tend to be fairly routine. It is easy to overlook and underestimate these types of dental visits. However, dental exam and cleaning appointments are extremely important in maintaining the health and appearance of your teeth and smile.
Keeping up with your regular dental exam and cleaning appointments also helps to reduce the risk of dental emergencies. These regular visits normally involve a physical examination and a professional teeth cleaning to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
Dentists typically perform oral evaluations prior to cleaning teeth, as this assessment can affect the way that your teeth need to be cleaned. For example, for a patient with severe gum disease, a more intensive type of dental cleaning may be necessary, as opposed to a routine cleaning involving only the parts of the teeth above the gum line.
Common elements in a dental exam:
- Physical evaluation of the current state of your mouth. This includes an evaluation of your teeth, mouth, jaws and lips.
- Periodontal probe. Your dentist will check your gum health using a physical exam and measure any gum pockets.
- During a routine dental cleaning, x-rays are not needed. But your dentist may use them to look for signs of tooth decay. Depending upon what is found, you may need to schedule an appointment for a periodontal cleaning in addition to your regular teeth cleaning.
Dental Cleaning
Once your dental exam is complete, your dental hygienist will professionally clean your teeth using dental instruments to remove plaque and tartar. Known as scaling, this procedure helps to prevent periodontal disease, or gum disease.
Your hygienist will then brush your teeth using a special gritty toothpaste. This will help to remove any surface stains from your teeth. Finally, your dentist will floss your teeth and polish them to a smooth finish.
Other Services
In addition to the above, some patients may be advised to undergo additional procedures to ensure their dental health, such as:
- Gingival irrigation: Your dentist sprays medicated water into problem areas that are harder to clean. This helps minimize gum pockets and enhance your general oral health.
- Fluoride treatment: Your dentist may perform a fluoride treatment to remineralize teeth that have become eroded. This helps to prevent tooth sensitivity and tooth decay.
Studies have found that there is a connection between one’s oral health and their overall health. For example, oral bacteria has been found to travel from the mouth into the heart, possibly leading to problems like heart disease. By keeping up with your routine exam and cleaning visits, you are helping ensure that your teeth, smile, and overall health are protected.
Schedule Your Appointment
Has it been awhile since your last exam and cleaning? If so, we encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience to schedule your next dental exam and cleaning appointment.
