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Dental Examination in 3 Steps – Dentist Exam

Typically, a dental exam is scheduled once a year.  A dental examination usually includes a clinical dental examination, bitewing or similar x-rays and a teeth cleaning.

What should you expect?

Your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth, gums, mouth and throat.  This includes both internal and external structures.  Sometimes, a brief orthodontic examination may be performed as well.

1. The head and neck examination typically takes dental exams a step further than traditional checkups.   The dentist will likely examine your facial structure and symmetry, which includes palpitation (using fingers to feel the structures) of chewing muscles and lymph nodes.

Furthermore, the dentist will normally perform a cancer screening and examine your Temporomandibular joint to make sure that everything is properly aligned.

2. A clinical dental examination, the main focus in any periodic dental exam, includes screening for gingivitis and periodontal pockets.

Tooth mobility, mucus membranes, saliva, and occlusion (bite) are almost always examined as well. Your dentist will also look for tooth decay, broken fillings, erosion, and assess the contacts between teeth.

3. Finally, the dental cleaning procedure will begin.   This starts with an overall assessment of mouth cleanliness, identification of specific areas of calculus (tartar) buildup and then scaling with sonic or non-sonic hand instruments.

After all tartar has been removed, the final steps include polishing or brushing of the teeth, flossing, and oral hygiene instructions given by the dental care professional servicing you. Many times, you may also be administered a topical fluoride treatment.

If one has orthodontic appliances, such as braces or a retainer, there is a possibility that a brief orthodontic examination may occur, as well.

Though typically performed by an orthodontist, a general dentist can also check the pressure of your arch wire, monitor your bite and the rate of its correction, and make sure that your retainer is continually doing the right things to maintain straight teeth.

The dentist may also recommend a teeth whitening regimen if you just recently had your braces removed.  This is usually done with teeth whitening kits, or even take-home teeth whitening gel. While professional teeth whitening may sometimes be a necessity, at home solutions tend to work just as well for most patients.

After completing the full dental examination and cleaning, your dentist will likely outline a detailed treatment plan – should one be deemed necessary.

They will also schedule a follow-up appointment with you, typically six months to a year from the present date, if no definitive restorative treatment is necessary before then.

Regular preventive maintenance, along with a home care regimen, will be crucial in maintaining good oral health.

A typical home care regimen might include brushing your teeth two or three times daily, flossing, using an antiseptic mouth wash and brushing or scraping your tongue each day to minimize colonization of disease-causing bacteria and prevent bad breath.

By: Paul Guenther
Teeth Cleaning

People used to think that as you got older you naturally lost your teeth.

We now know that’s not true.

By following easy steps for keeping your teeth and gums healthy – plus seeing your dentist regularly – you can have your teeth for a lifetime!

Plaque: What is it?

Plaque is made up of invisible masses of harmful germs (bacteria)  that live in the mouth and stick to the teeth.

• Some types of plaque cause tooth decay

• • Other types of plaque cause gum disease

Red, puffy or bleeding gums can be the first signs of gum disease.

If gum disease is not treated, the tissues holding the teeth in place are destroyed and the teeth are eventually lost.

Dental plaque is difficult to see unless it’s stained. You can stain plaque by chewing red “disclosing tablets,” found at grocery stores and drug stores, or by using a cotton swab to smear green food coloring on your teeth.

The red or green color left on the teeth will show you where there is still plaque—and where you have to brush again to remove it.

Stain and examine your teeth regularly to make sure you are removing all plaque.  Ask your dentist or dental hygienist if your plaque removal techniques are o.k.

Floss

Use floss to remove germs and food particles between teeth.  Always rinse after flossing.

NOTE! Ease the floss into place gently.  Do not snap it into place—this could harm your gums.

Brush Teeth

Use any tooth brushing method that is comfortable, but do not scrub hard back and forth.

Use only a soft bristled brush, as plaque is quite easily removed with the softest of bristles.  Plus, stiff bristles can erode gum and tooth surfaces over time.

Small circular motions and short back and forth motions work well.  Again, be sure to rinse thoroughly to flush out the food particles and bacteria.

Brush the tongue for a fresh feeling!  Rinse again.

Toothpaste is optional – as is fluoride in the toothpaste.

Why?

Because it is the mechanical action of the flossing, brushing and vigorously swishing that dislodges and removes the plaque and germs it contains, NOT the toothpaste.

If you do use fluoridated toothpaste, be sure to avoid swallowing any of it and make sure to rinse and swish thoroughly with water after brushing.

Because, while fluoride may have temporary “topical” anti-cavity properties, it provides NO systemic benefit, but is, in fact, quite toxic.

Remember: Food residues, especially sweets, provide nutrients for the germs that cause tooth decay, as well as those that cause gum disease.

That’s why it is important to remove all food residues, as well as plaque, from teeth.

Remove plaque at least once a day—twice a day is better.

If you brush and floss only once daily, do it before going to bed.

Another way of removing plaque between teeth is to use a dental pick or stimulator—a thin plastic or wooden stick.

These picks can be purchased at drug stores and grocery stores.

Use care with these devices, as they can cut the gums and also be abrasive on enamel if overused.

The concept of flossing one’s teeth is still quite foreign to some people, despite being told of the importance of it for years.

It probably has something to do with the whole antiquated “germ theory” of a couple of centuries ago: If I can’t see it, it’s not there”.

Of course, we now know that just because something like bacteria (or air) is not visible to the naked eye, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Plaque Is Loaded With Bacteria

So, nowadays, people are more enlightened about germs, but still not so much about the germs in dental plaque.

You see, dental plaque – that clear to whiteish, sticky coating that’s constantly developing on ALL of your oral surfaces – is made-up of about 27% bacteria.

In other words, more than one quarter of plaque is bacteria.

The same kind of bacteria that are responsible for gum disease and tooth decay.

Plaque Is Forming 24/7

Now, we know that plaque is not only continuously forming in our mouths, but that it’s also somewhat difficult to remove.

So, not only do we need specially developed tools (brush, floss, etc.) to remove the plaque, but we must also perform these removal techniques regularly.

Therefore, our local dentist tells us to brush after every meal and floss at least once daily.

Toothbrushing Misses 40% Of Your Tooth Surfaces

Now, keeping in mind that plaque forms everywhere in our mouths, here’s another interesting statistic for you: 40% of your tooth surfaces are in-between your teeth, where toothbrush bristles can’t reach!

That’s right, brushing only covers a little over half of our total tooth surfaces.

So, even if we brush forty times a day, we are only getting about 60% of our teeth clean.

And that’s where floss comes in.

Used properly, floss can take care of the other 40% of the tooth surfaces that brushing can’t reach.

And while flossing may be a hassle until you get accustomed to it, imagine what would happen if you only washed 60% of your clothing (including underwear), but continued to wear all of it.

Would you lose friends?  Your job?  Would forest creatures begin to follow you around?  You get the picture…

If you’re not flossing at least every few days, think of what the bacteria in your mouth are doing in “their” 40% of your teeth.

The 40%, Flossing And Gum Disease

And that’s really the major issue with flossing.  Periodontal disease doesn’t really present any dramatic signs or symptoms.

So, often, people have full blown gum disease before they are even aware of it – all because of incomplete oral hygiene!

Obviously, when used together, brushing and flossing are able to effectively clean 100% of your exposed tooth surfaces.

And whether gum disease has noticeable signs and symptoms or not, you now know how and why you can and should take drastic steps to prevent it.

Since plaque takes between 24-72 hours to use the minerals in your saliva to form tartar, you should make sure you floss at least every other day.

Because once tartar forms, it creates an incredible bond to the teeth and will probably require a hygienist to remove it.

Meanwhile, this tartar continues to grow and provide a haven for millions of bacteria, that continue to do you harm.

The Best Time To Floss

The absolute BEST time to both floss and brush is right before bed.

You want your mouth as clean as possible while you are sleeping, so there is no food for the bacteria to eat and make disease-causing by-products from.

Floss first, then rinse your mouth vigorously with water.  Then brush for about four minutes and rinse vigorously again.

Flossing and brushing are the mechanical means by which you dislodge the plaque.

The vigorous swishing with water helps to transport the dislodged plaque (and food particles) out of the intricate places in your mouth and into the sink, so it can’t re-attach to your teeth.

Putting It All Together

So, to recap:

1.  Dental plaque is forming 24/7 on every surface of your mouth

2.  Dental plaque is composed of approx. 27% bacteria, including several species associated with tooth decay and gum disease

3.  40% of your tooth surfaces are between your teeth where toothbrush bristles are ineffective

4.  It takes from 24-72 hours on average for bacterial plaque to harden into bacterial tartar

5.  Flossing should be done at least every 48 hours in conjunction with brushing – in order to ensure 100% of tooth surfaces are cleaned

6.  The best time to floss and brush is right before bed, so your mouth is as clean as possible during your dormant hours

7.  Gum disease rarely presents any significant signs or symptoms until it’s too late and irreparable damage has been done

In conclusion, despite major advancements in dental prosthetics (prosthodontics), there is NO dental implant, crown, bridge, veneer, filling, root canal, full or partial denture that can compare to the “real thing” – natural teeth.

As the old saying goes, “There’s just nothing like the original equipment.”

And you can quite easily increase your odds of keeping your original equipment for your entire life!

Flossing at least every other day is one very quick and simple way to take care of that often neglected 40% that leads to so many problems.

For more information on flossing and oral hygiene, see the other articles on our site.

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Just imagine if we lived in a world where surgical loupes or the dental microscope had not yet been invented.

Would you like to have a surgeon or a dentist operate on you without the benefit of these items?

Microscopes are essential to diagnosing abnormalities. The difference between the levels of treatment received is influenced by the ability of the doctor to see.

Exploring a few ways these items are used to enable doctors and dentists to perform the surgeries and treatments needed will help you to understand the importance of magnification in medicine.

Surgical loupes have been proven time and again to be able to assist those in the medical as well as dental fields beyond all measure.

If they did not have the loupes then there would be so many different things that they would be unable to see.

Microsurgery is among the more delicate surgeries that use these small instruments, and it certainly wouldn’t be a possibility if the technology required to magnify an area just did not exist. The surgery is normally used for eye and ear surgery, as well as reattaching severed limbs.

Magnification abilities will cause either the complete success, or the utter failure of a medical procedure which calls for it. Surgical Loupes have the ability to magnify an entire area, and are used a lot for cosmetic dentistry, along with movable dental microscopes. There’s a flip-up type of microscope which allows a dentist to alter those levels of magnification at will, and won’t have any trouble doing so.

The devices known as surgical loupes have been around since the sixties.  However, they’ve been upgraded quite a bit since that time, and the magnification levels have increased as well.

Dental microscopes can be used by an endodontist (root canal specialist) to see the inside of a tooth and the sensitive tissue within. These things would be invisible to even the most skilled dentist without the proper tools.

Illumination and magnification is also needed for doctors that practice in the treatment of ear nose and throat conditions. Microscopes they use have a straight head instead of an angled one. The focal lens on these is completely unlike the normal microscopes, and the part can be switched out along with the lens. This is the method used to change the magnification level.

Among the advantages of such microscopes is the capability to manipulate the levels of focus utilizing your foot. With a tiltable main head, a doctor has the ability to rotate that head up to 180 degrees. A binocular head will supply much needed magnification, and there are many add-ons that can be purchased for the microscope that enhance it’s overall use.

Other types of surgical loupes or microscopes are used by ophthalmologists. They are necessary for surgeries that correct problems of the eyes.  They’re also used for lasik surgery, which is becoming more popular with those who need corrective intervention to improve their sight.

As you can now see (pun intended), magnification is very important in the medical and dental fields.  The proper combination of magnification, illumination and access is what enables earlier diagnoses, better treatment and better outcomes in healthcare – across the board.

There’s no counting the number of lives that have been saved, and physical function that has been preserved or even recovered, as a result of micro-technology.  And surgical loupes and microscopes have been on the forefront of these humanitarian advancements since day one.

How do you go about finding a good dentist? Everyone needs proper dental care; oral health can affect your overall health as well as being an important cosmetic element. Without quality dental care, your bright white smile may turn a little off-white over time and gum disease may develop even if you brush and floss religiously. Locating a good dentist is largely dependent on exactly what your dental care needs are. Start off by identifying what you’re looking for in a dentist.

Could your smile use a little whitening? If you’d like to make your pearly whites a little pearlier, then you should seek out a dentist who is skilled in whitening procedures including laser whitening. If you’d like to have straighter teeth without having to resort to those unattractive metal braces, then you’ll want to find a good dentist who specializes in the Invisalign teeth straightening system. Are you unhappy with the fact that your gums partially cover your teeth? If so, a dentist who performs gum lifts is the dentist you’re looking for.

Once you know what you want from a dentist, you can start looking. Any good dentist will have a great reputation for service, quality work and a friendly approach to patients. You can learn a lot about a dentist by listening to what their patients have to say; although you shouldn’t base your decision on complaints about their prices. If you have questions about the price of the procedures a dentist offers, you can simply get in touch with their practice and inquire about their pricing structure for the services they offer.

A good dentist is someone you’ll want to build a lasting relationship with. Your dentist will be your companion and guide on the path to achieving and maintaining that bright, white smile that makes you feel great about yourself and lets you project the confidence that comes from knowing you have a winning smile.