4 Things You Need to Know About Your Dental Exams

4 Things You Need to Know About Your Dental Exams

dental exam San AntonioA dental exam occurs during your regular dental visit to have your teeth cleaned. Quite often it is the  hygienist that actually cleans your teeth by removing plaque that has built up since your previous visit. Teeth will also be polished to look their best. If X-rays were needed, they will be displayed for the dental provider to review as he looks for problems like decay. But something else occurs during this regular dental visit that you might not even realize is happening, and it could actually save your life!

Your dentist will be looking for any unusual lesions or other evidence that could point to a more serious problem, such as oral cancer. Discovered early, a biopsy could uncover a problem that could be dealt with before it has a chance to escalate.

This exam, coupled with signs noted by the hygienist, might uncover early signs of gum disease. Gingivitis can be successfully treated, but if not found, can evolve very quickly into periodontitis. This condition can lead to bleeding gums, receding gum tissue, loose teeth and even tooth loss.

Many patients grind their teeth, a habit that most often starts subconsciously during periods of sleep. You might not even realize you are grinding unless you have started experiencing symptoms like discomfort in head, neck, jaw, or ears. But your dentist will be able to spot this and offer solutions like a night guard that will usually resolve this problem.

Have you ever wanted to enhance your appearance, but might be too timid or embarrassed to ask what you could do to improve your smile. This exam is the perfect opportunity to learn the many options available to whiten teeth or make changes without being faced with years of orthodontic treatment or extensive, invasive dental procedures.

This part of your dental visit will also be used as an educational forum to let you know all the things available as preventive measures, like dental sealants that can be applied to the surfaces of teeth not previously impacted by decay that seal out harmful bacteria, or fluoride treatments that can be applied during your dental visit to strengthen tooth enamel.

Preventive dental visits twice each year take about one hour of your time for each visit, which is a small price to pay for excellent dental health. If you’re overdue for your cleaning, contact our team at Aesthetic Dental Partners today. Call 210-616-0858 to schedule your visit.