The Overall Value Of Getting Regular Dental Exams And Cleanings
Many people don’t like the act of going to the dentist and they do their best to avoid it at all costs. Being able to convince people how important going to regular dental cleanings can be very difficult. In fact, many won’t go for preventative and routine measures instead of waiting for something that needs to be addressed.
The American Dental Association recommends everyone to visit the dentist for routine exams and cleanings a minimum of two times per year or every six months. These aren’t meant to be visits where you go because something is aching or you have an issue you need to be addressed. The purpose is to go to get your teeth looked at, examined, cleaned, and potentially even x-rayed.
What Happens During These Cleanings?
Typically, you will find these visits broken down into two parts. The first being the oral exam and the second part being the cleaning. The oral exam needs to be thorough and it will include the entire mouth. During this, the dentist will examine your mouth including your teeth, gums, and tongue. They will scrape your teeth, prod at your teeth, and more. This gives the details as to whether you have soft spots, pockets, and more. The mouth is also visually inspected to spot potential irregularities or discoloration.
Upon taking a solid look at your mouth, it will be palpated by the dentist using both their fingers and dental tools. You may have an exam where a mass or something cannot be visually spotted but palpation can spot it.
Any irregularities that are spotted or discolorations will typically need to be examined further with a biopsy. While your dentist may let you go and come back at a later date if they look completely benign, they will usually check. Your biopsy will be sent for pathology in order to generate a pathology report.
Now that you have the exam portion of the visit completed, you will have your teeth cleaned. During this time, you will be getting a thorough cleaning to get rid of all of the built-up tartar and plaque on your teeth. These are a buildup of hard and sticky substances on your teeth that cannot be removed with your toothbrush and they can accumulate bacteria. Because you cannot address this at home, it is important to go to the dentist regularly to get professional cleaning with special tools and instruments to remove it.
As mentioned, it is recommended to go a minimum of two times per year for adults. For children, it is likely going to be recommended to go even more depending on what their current status is. You can rest easy knowing that Dr. Shaggy will do anything and everything, in order to ensure her office, remains as comfortable as possible for both adults and children. We fully understand how uneasy it can be for many to visit the dentist no matter if its a routine cleaning or not. We make sure every patient has a comfortable and pleasant experience.
