A beautiful and healthy smile will require regular upkeep in order to continue looking and feeling its best. This means balancing the everyday oral hygiene you complete on your own with attending regular appointments at your dentist’s office.
The dentist will provide you with crucial preventive oral healthcare during this check-up. At-home oral hygiene alone cannot protect your smile from certain oral health conditions.
Most people will need to schedule two of these types of dental appointments each year. You can feel more comfortable going to your dentist’s office when you know what to expect from this visit. Discover each step that occurs during a routine dental check-up when you read on.
Oral Health Evaluation
Your dentist will begin your dental check-up with a thorough evaluation of your smile. They will do a visual exam of your teeth and gums to identify potential signs of oral health problems like cavities or gum disease. They can spot symptoms of these issues early, which can make them easier to treat.
The dentist will also recommend getting an x-ray of your smile every year or so. This imaging technology can reveal problems within the interior of the teeth that they cannot see with a visual exam alone. This thorough exam will allow a dentist to monitor your smile and find changes that might impact your oral health.
Professional Teeth Cleaning
Next, your dentist will conduct a professional teeth cleaning. Though you complete oral hygiene at home, your own tools will not always reach to properly clean your entire mouth. You can develop a build-up of plaque and tartar between your teeth or near your gumline.
The dentist will scrape away these residues so that they will not linger and hurt your teeth. If you skip a dental cleaning, the build-up can wear down your teeth, weakening them and making them vulnerable to serious dental issues.
The dentist finishes cleaning your teeth by brushing and polishing them with special toothpaste and flossing between your teeth. Ask your dentist about how this professional dental attention enhances your oral health.
Preventive Dental Treatments
The oral health exam and teeth cleaning from your dentist are major components of good preventive dental care. But your dentist can also offer further treatments that can protect the look and health of your smile.
For instance, you might want to try fluoride treatment. The dentist will apply a paste or gel to your teeth that contains concentrated fluoride, a mineral that absorbs into your teeth. The mineral will strengthen your enamel, making it better able to resist tooth decay, dental stains, and more concerns.
Some patients might want to ask their dentist for sealants as well. Dentists often recommend this treatment for pediatric patients because their developing teeth might need extra protection. But anyone can benefit from the application of this resin-based coating to the teeth that creates a barrier to protect the smile.