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Dental Exams & Check-Ups
No one should be afraid to come in for Dental Exams in Colorado Springs. Our Dentists won’t be mad if a patient hasn’t had a check-up for a while, and their teeth and gums aren’t what they ought to be. At worst, the patient will get a bit of a scolding. At best, the dental exam might save their life or protect their health. A patient who is really anxious about a dental visit should tell the Our Woodmen Doctor or Our Hygienist. They’ll be pleased, after the scolding, to make the visit more comfortable.
What Happens During a Dental Exam at Woodmen
First, the dentist will ask about the patient’s general as well as their oral health, for they can impact each other. For example, if a patient has diabetes, they run a higher risk of periodontal disease. Medications that cause dry mouth, or xerostomia can put a patient at higher risk for cavities. The dentist also checks dentures, bridges and implants, asks about the patient’s diet and whether they smoke.
If Our Dentist doesn’t have X-rays of the patient’s mouth or if something has changed, they order X-rays. There are several types of X-rays, including those that let the dentist see the crowns of the teeth, those that reveal the whole tooth and the bone around it, X-rays that let the dentist see the patient’s bite or panoramic X-rays that show both the upper and lower jaws. X-rays can find problem areas that even the dentist wouldn’t be able to see just from a visual examination. These include abscesses, wisdom teeth, tumors and areas of deep decay.
The Dentist may also have the patient make a dental impression to get a three dimensional impression of the patient’s bite. The patient just bites down on trays filled with gel.
When it comes to saving lives with Dental exams in Colorado Springs, the dentist or the dental hygienist will check for oral cancer during your checkup. This means looking for suspicious spots or lesions in the mouth and palpating areas of the patient’s head and neck.
Most patients have a thorough cleaning during yearly Dental Check-Ups in Colorado Springs. Some people are wary of this, especially those who haven’t been to the dentist in a while. The Dental hygienist may need to use instruments such as scalers and planers to thoroughly remove tartar and plaque beneath the patient’s gumline. This can be uncomfortable, but the hygienist can give numbing agents before the procedure. It is important to remove plaque and tartar because they harbor bacteria whose toxins can migrate to other places in the body such as the arteries. There they can lay down plaque much the same way as they do on the teeth. Other researchers believe that when the liver senses these toxins it releases proteins that inflame and eventually damage the arteries.
Afterwards,
After a Dental Check-Up, Our Dentist recommends ways for the patient to support their oral health and suggests a time for a return visit. If the patient has conditions such as gingivitis, cavities or other problems, the dentist will recommend that they return sooner rather than later.
