There are a number of things that an experienced dentist near you will look at when you book a general dental exam with them. Their goal is to make sure your teeth and gums are as healthy as possible to help with preventative treatments for your mouth to keep larger issues from occurring. Here at Making You Smile Cosmetic Dental Studio, we look for all of the following.
Tooth Decay and Cavities
These are areas of the teeth that have lost calcification, which is the loss of hard tooth structure because of bacterial attack. During the dental exam, the dentist will check to see if the color of the tooth has changed. Upon further examination with x-rays, the doctor can identify the severity of the cavities. With this knowledge of your teeth, he can propose measures to restore the lost tooth structure with a filling, crown, or some other dental treatment.
Gingivitis and Recession
Taking care of your gums is just as important as taking care of your teeth. Inflammation of the gums manifests itself with bleeding gums which could mean more serious gum disease. Gum recessions are areas where the gums have pulled away from the teeth. This can be very painful, and leave your exposed teeth more prone to cavities. A gum exam will allow us to identify the cause of the problem and propose a dental treatment to restore healthy, pinkish, non-bleeding gums such as the use of chlorhexidine mouthwash.
Periodontitis (Supporting Bones)
The teeth are supported in your jawbones by the gums and the underlying bone. To keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime, the bone structure needs to stay healthy. A periodontal exam with the aid of dental x-rays will allow us to assess the condition of the supporting bone so we can detect a problem early on and propose measures to restore and maintain health.
Oral Exam
During the exam, we will look around your mouth to check for any suspicious changes in the tissues of your cheeks, lips, tongue, the roof of your mouth, and below your tongue. We will investigate any change to rule out any disease or a possible cancerous change. This is an important preventative step against cancer of the mouth or tongue.
