Why do we Need Regular Dental Visits?

Regular dental visits are necessary to maintain your oral health. Simply brushing and flossing your teeth on your own isn’t enough to ensure long term oral health. Regardless of how well you may brush and floss your teeth, food particles can still get stuck between your teeth and eventually lead to the formation of plaque and tartar. This, in turn, leads to bacterial decay, which can lead to a number of oral health issues and diseases.

During regular dental visits, a dental hygienist examines your teeth to make sure they’re healthy. They also remove all of the accumulated plaque and tartar, help you rinse off all the bacteria, and check for signs of gum disease. You should go for regular dental visits at least once every 3 to 6 months.

Why is a Dental Health Checkup so Important?

Dental health checkup is important in order to identify the presence of gum disease or other oral issues in their initial stages. If your gum disease advances, you may have to resort to complex procedures like root canal treatment and tooth extraction. But, if you catch the early signs of gum disease during your dental health checkup, the dental hygienist can treat it immediately so that it doesn’t corrupt your teeth.

Dental health checkups are also important to maintain your overall health. The initial warning signs of certain systemic diseases like lupus, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis often show up in the mouth first. As such, going for regular dental health checkups also helps you prevent or treat other diseases before they get worse. You should schedule your dental health checkups at intervals recommended by your dentist.

What Happens during an Oral Exam Dental Checkup?

Before you schedule your oral exam dental checkup, you should thoroughly assess all of your options in terms of dental clinics. Find a reliable and trustworthy dental clinic that you can visit on a regular basis.

Physical Examination

During your oral exam dental checkup, the dentist or dental hygienist will examine various aspects of your oral health. You can expect the following:

• A detailed discussion about your medical history and current medications.
• Evaluation of your teeth for signs of disease.
• Evaluation of your need for complex restorative treatments.
• Examination of your bite, jaws, gums, and teeth.
• Removal of surface stains from your teeth.
• Demonstration of proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Dental X-Ray Sensor

After the physical examination, the dental hygienist will run a dental x-ray scan to visualize different parts of your mouth. This isn’t always necessary but the dentist may recommend an x-ray if they noticed any perplexing signs during the physical exam.

Oral Exam for Cancer

The dentist will also study for signs of oral cancer so that it can be stopped while it’s still young. To do so, the dentist will thoroughly look for marks and cancerous lesions in your mouth, tongue, lips, cheeks, and other parts of your mouth.

Dental Impressions

If there’s some problem with your jaws or bite, the dental hygienist may also take impressions of your mouth in order to create a dental cast of your mouth. This will allow them to examine your bite and come up with treatments, if necessary.

Results

Finally, the dental hygienist or dentist will share all of your results, discuss potential treatment options, and let you know when you should return for your next session.