A regular dental check-up and cleaning are of vital importance to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Many people tend to wait till the problem begins showing signs of pain and discomfort. But in most cases, the problem becomes serious leading to complications. The earlier the dental issues are diagnosed, the easier it will become to fix them. Henceforth it is crucial to have regular dental appointments to have your teeth examined and cleaned. On should have their teeth checked at least once in six months.
What happens during your regular dental check-ups?
- The dentist will check your teeth for any pre-existing cavity.
- If there is any swelling or discoloration of the gums, it signifies a looming gum disease or periodontics. This infection could be treated with a course of antibiotics by the dentist.
- The dentist can give you advice on the proper cleaning and brushing techniques.
- Any abnormal discoloration, lumps, and swellings could be an indication of oral cancer. Timely check-ups with the dentist can help in early diagnosis and follow-up treatment. A biopsy will help determine whether the symptoms are signs of oral cancer.
- Problems such as bone loss could be detected by taking x-rays of the underlying jaw bone and gums.
Why should you have regular Dental Check-Ups?
A regular comprehensive dental clean-up should be taken from a dentist. One might feel that with proper brushing and flossing, the teeth will remain smooth and clean. But still, there are some areas in the mouth that might have an accumulation of bacteria. Insufficient cleaning of these areas might cause gum diseases or periodontics, eventually resulting in losing a tooth.Hence a complete cleaning of the teeth should be undertaken by a dentist so that the difficult areas of the mouth are cleaned to remove all the plaque and tartar. Regular dental clean-ups will prevent gum disease and other related problems.
How is the Dental Cleaning performed?
As a first step, a physical examination of your mouth is done by your dentist. A small mirror is used to inspect your teeth and gums for any signs of gingivitis or other possible diseases. If there are no major problems detected, the dentist proceeds with the clean-up. A scaler is used to eliminate the plaque and tartar around the gum line and between the teeth. The tartar is scraped from the teeth. Once the teeth are rid of tartar, the dentist will brush them with a high-powered electric brush using gritty toothpaste, which smells and tastes like normal toothpaste. An expert flossing will ensure the further removal of any leftover plaque or toothpaste from the initial cleaning process. Next, your mouth is rinsed with a liquid fluoride to get rid of any remaining fragments.
The final step involves applying fluoride gel as a protection for the teeth to fight against cavities. The gel is placed into a mouthpiece that fits over the teeth. Fluoride varnish is also smeared on the teeth, which will harden once it comes in contact with saliva.
