Catching problems early makes them more manageable.
Dental checkups should be considered just as important as your yearly physical and eye examination. This is because dental examinations help catch oral health problems before they result in serious gum disease, loose teeth, and the need for tooth extractions
During your dental checkup, x-rays of your teeth and jaw and an oral examination will be performed in order to determine if there are any problems, like cavities, impacted teeth, infections, gingivitis, or periodontal disease. If cavities or other oral health issues are discovered, the dentist will discuss those with you, answer your questions, and develop a treatment plan to restore your oral health. If you need cavities filled or additional procedures, those will be performed after your teeth cleaning.
The dental hygienist will perform your teeth cleaning. A paper napkin will be placed around your neck to protect your clothing, and you will be asked to lay back and relax while your teeth are cleaned. The cleaning process involves scraping all the plaque, tartar, and stains from your teeth and any tartar that has slipped below your gum line.
Once all the plaque and tartar have been removed, the dentist will polish your teeth using a small bit of tooth polish and a rotating brush. The polishing process helps achieve a certain degree of brightness, and it makes the surface of the tooth slightly slippery for a short while, so that food particles do not adhere as easily to the teeth.
