Guide to Dental Checkups
If you visit a dental office, the first person you will meet is the receptionist who will inquire about the reason for your coming. An available dentist will be sought to help you with your dental needs. You will meet the dentist once the appointment is fixed. Considerable time will be spent with the dentist to make sure that you tell them about your condition and ask as many questions as you want.
You should take all necessary paperwork with you since the hygienist will make sure to go through your past medical history before any work is carried inside your mouth. Your dental hygienist will ask if this is your first time for a dental checkup. This will just determine whether there are any changes in your overall health. The hygienist should know about your health concerns, anxieties, and allergies . This will be the basis for the course of action that they will take.
While sitting for dental check up, inform your dentist about your fears. If you are scared of the sound of a drill, the dental team might have a difficult time performing the surgery or procedure. Being scare of a dentist is not wrong. Dentists know how to calm down a patient in order for the procedure to be as smooth as possible.
Once the concerns and anxieties are shared then they can start working on your teeth. Teeth cleaning is the first step that is taken during any dental check up. The dentist cleans any build up of plaque and tartar using a scraper. Your teeth will have a white shiny finish with the help of a tooth polisher and slightly abrasive toothpaste. Leftover plaque is removed by polishing. There is no more plaque accumulated when the teeth has become smooth after polishing.
When the teeth is cleaned the dentist then looks at the problem inside your mouth. In order to examine the in-betweens of the teeth and gums, the dentist has a metal probe with a small angled mirror. This will help them in checking how soft the enamel and dentin is. The dentist will also check for gum swelling, mouth sores, and redness. Another important procedure in a dental checkup is the measuring of periodontal pockets. They can determine if you are suffering from gum disease if the pocket is any deeper than one and three millimeters.
Dental x-rays are then taken to examine deeper the surface of the mouth. The next course of action will be taken after everything is checked. With the x-ray results the dentist will know if you have any bone loss, fractures, or any abnormalities within the visible surface of the gums.