How Often Are Dental Exams and Cleanings Required?
Dental problems can occur even after maintaining meticulous dental hygiene practices. While you might not realize it, keeping in contact with your dentist for dental exams and cleanings, help detect most dental issues. If you do not have any dental problems, you find it convenient to have a dental exam and cleanings in Courtice & Oshawa, ON, once every six months to keep your dental health in optimal shape.
The Canadian Dental Association suggests half-yearly exams and cleanings for everyone as a preventive measure to help people avoid mouth infections like tooth decay, gum disease, mouth cancer, and any other issues that might affect people. However, more frequent exams become essential if people have infections like periodontal disease or display lesions and bumps in the mouth that don’t subside within a couple of weeks.
What should be the frequency of routine dental exams and cleanings?
The condition of your dental health determines how often you must see your dentist for this preventive measure. Occasionally your dentist might suggest seeing them more often if they notice suspicious lumps or lesions in the mouth appearing abnormal and raising suspicions of severe issues affecting you. Therefore getting examined by your dentist every six months is optimal for your dental and overall health.
What to Expect During a Dental Exam?
During your dental exam, expect the dentist to examine all aspects of your oral health by using x-rays to identify problems invisible to the naked eye. In addition, the dentist will evaluate your periodontal health and examine every tooth looking for signs of decay, chips, cracks, et cetera.
The exam includes looking at your head and neck to confirm nothing is wrong and checking your mouth for signs of oral cancer or other issues. In addition, performing a bite analysis helps the dentist determine whether you have TMJ disorders due to misaligned teeth.
After evaluating your teeth and mouth, the dentist creates a personalized plan for you, including any treatments you might need or preventive measures you must adopt. The dentist aims to prevent problems from developing and treat any existing issues to ensure they don’t aggravate them.
Expectations During The Cleaning Procedure
You brush your teeth every day as part of your oral hygiene routine. However, a teeth cleaning in the dental office is unlike brushing at home because the hygienist looks to remove dental plaque on and in between your teeth that might have hardened into tartar and could be discolouring your teeth. The cleaning process is not painful but requires you to sit with your mouth open in the dentist’s chair for about 45 minutes as the hygienist cleans every tooth to ensure you never fall victim to periodontal disease or cavities and enjoy excellent dental health.
The dental cleaning process starts with the hygienist using small dental instruments with mirrors to look behind your teeth and scrape plaque and tartar on your teeth and below the gum line. You might not like the scraping sounds, especially if your teeth have excessive tartar buildup. However, it is an excellent technique to prevent severe infections from affecting you and give your teeth a cleaning that will make them appear brighter than earlier.
After ensuring your teeth are entirely tartar free hygienist polishes your teeth with gritty toothpaste and an electric toothbrush to eliminate any excess plaque remaining between your teeth after the scraping session that might cause unnecessary issues. The polishing also helps brighten your teeth to give you a gleaming smile. The hygienist also provides a flossing lesson that you might think is unnecessary but is a technique for the hygienist to detect trouble spots between your teeth that might bleed when flossing.
The final step of the cleaning process includes getting a fluoride treatment to strengthen tooth enamel to battle against cavities for several months.
Home Care Recommendations by the Dentist
The exam and cleaning make you aware that your mouth is clean and healthy and doesn’t require extensive treatments. However, you are responsible for keeping your mouth healthy by brushing twice daily, flossing once and having a healthy diet to ensure you prevent plaque from hardening into tartar by removing it diligently. In addition, caring for your teeth, as suggested by the dentist, helps you enjoy a healthy and confident smile.
Kindly do not wait to receive a reminder from Brightway Dental to schedule your appointment for cleanings and exams every six months. Instead, get into the habit of calling the dentist in advance to ensure you don’t confront any crowds when you visit the dental practice for the preventive care you need to maintain excellent dental health.