A healthy smile starts with a good oral hygiene regimen. Taking care of your teeth at home is extremely important to help ensure that your mouth is free from tooth decay and gum disease. The fact is, gum disease is extremely common, affecting over half of all American adults.
However, while good oral hygiene is essential to help prevent complications in your mouth, that is only one piece of the puzzle. You also need to make sure that you schedule regular dental appointments with us here at El Paso Modern Dentistry, to prevent infections and cavities, and catch any potential existing problems before they become a major oral health crisis.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A DENTAL CLEANING AND EXAM?
Your dental exam will start with a few questions from us. We will start by taking your medical history, and we will also ask if you have any areas of concern that you want us to check while you are in our exam chair. This may include pain in your mouth or jaw, discomfort when chewing or eating, and sensitivity to hot or cold foods. Once we take your history, we may then recommend that we take X-rays of your mouth. X-rays are generally advised every two years, or if there is a specific concern that you have in your jaw or your teeth.
We will thoroughly check all aspects of your mouth during your exam. We will not only look at your teeth, but we will also look at your gums and your bite alignment. In addition, we will check to determine if you have gum disease or any active infections in your mouth. A dental exam will also include an oral cancer screening to help ensure that you do not have any cancerous growths or problems developing in your mouth.
Once we are satisfied that we understand your oral health, we will move on to the cleaning portion of your dental exam. The first thing we will do during your cleaning is to remove any hardened calculus from your teeth. We will use our scaler to do this. This can effectively remove any buildup from your teeth, not only helping to keep them clean and healthy, but it may also remove superficial stains and discoloration. This can greatly improve the appearance of your smile!
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SCALING
After the scaling, we will then brush your teeth using a special type of gritty toothpaste that polishes your teeth and helps keep them clean. We do not recommend that you use this gritty toothpaste at home, as it can be damaging to your dental enamel if used too often. After we use the gritty toothpaste, we will then floss your teeth for you. Some patients notice bleeding during this portion of the cleaning. If this happens to you, do not be alarmed. It it may mean is that you are not flossing enough at home, and if you pick up this healthy habit, the bleeding should subside. Finally, we will have you rinse with fluoride.
After your cleaning, we will discuss our findings from your exam, and if anything needs treatment, we will give you our expert recommendation on how to proceed. We may advise that you schedule another appointment to begin treatment, as well.
