Dental Visit – Dental Checkup and Cleaning

Getting a dental checkup is one of the essential steps in your oral care routine. But you might wonder what you can expect during a checkup and cleaning. That way, you can make a more informed decision for your health. Keep reading to learn more about what the procedure involves.

Getting the dental checkup

The dental hygienist and dentist will see the patient. First, an initial exam happens. The dentist might talk to the patient about any health changes. Next, the hygienist will polish and clean the teeth and talk about gum and teeth care. If the patient has any questions, now is the time to ask them.

The dentist does an oral exam of the teeth and gums and looks over the hygienist’s cleaning. Next, it is time to look for symptoms of diseases. These might include oral cancer or gum disease. If the patient has any issues, the dentist will recommend the right treatments.

The patient might have some X-rays done depending on the dental checkup. The dentist will think about whether the patient is likely to develop oral health issues. If the patient gets X-rays, the procedure is painless. It lets the dentist look below the gumline for potential problems.

What happens at the cleaning?

Brushing and flossing the teeth at home can remove some plaque, but getting a professional cleaning is still vital. That gives the patient a more thorough cleaning to remove tartar or calculus. Metal tools are useful for cleaning the teeth, and sometimes, ultrasonic devices are used. That allows the dentist to clean below the patient’s gumline.

Next, it is time to polish the teeth to remove stains and other plaque. The polish is slightly abrasive. It also has fluoride in it. The hygienist uses a rubber brush that rotates to apply and use it.

Other things looked for during the exam

If the patient has a comprehensive exam, that might include checking the neck and head. The dentist might also look for tenderness and swelling, which might indicate a disease or infection. The salivary glands and lymph nodes are critical to check. The dentist might look over the jawbone to see that it works well.

Next, it is time to check the soft tissue. That includes the inside of the cheeks, the tongue, the roof of the mouth, and the bottom of the mouth. The dentist looks for signs of oral cancer, such as growths, spots, or lesions. The dentist can also look at the back of the patients’ throat.

Finally, the dentist looks at the gum tissue for signs of gum disease. The supporting teeth structures and gums get examined closely. The dentist looks for swollen or red gum tissue. It might bleed easily if there is an issue.