Dental Exam Randolph MA
Your dental team will routinely check your teeth and gums, but this is only scratching the surface. A comprehensive dental exam would take too long for a routine appointment. However, your dentist will cover certain aspects of a comprehensive dental examination, depending upon your current oral health.
What are dental exams?
A dental exam is a routine appointment that most patients take part in twice each year, although those with certain types of dental problems may have more frequent exams.
The purpose of a dental exam is to allow your dentist to check on the current health status of your teeth, mouth and gums. If you make these appointments on a regular basis, your dentist should be able to detect any problems at an early stage when intervention is most successful and least expensive.
Who needs a dental exam?
Everyone needs a dental exam. Even if you are practicing proper oral hygiene at home, you can occasionally miss a spot when brushing or flossing, allowing tooth decay to creep in.
Although you may eventually spot problems like gum disease or tooth decay on your own, keeping up with your regular dental exam appointments gives your dental team an opportunity to put their training and experience to use in detecting problems at a very early stage.
Purpose of Dental Exams
If you are a new patient, your dental exam may take somewhat longer than it would normally. Your dentist will want to know about your medical history and any medications that you are taking that may have an effect upon your oral health.
A dental exam gives your dentist a chance to establish a baseline of your oral health. The next time that you undergo a dental exam, they can compare your current results with your previous visit to see if any ongoing issues are getting better or worse, or to detect new ones.
What To Expect
The first part of a dental exam is normally taken up with an inspection of the areas around the head, neck, and facial structures. Your dental team will also examine your jaw joint for proper function. They will inspect your cheeks, tongue, lips, and the hard and soft palates.
Your dental team will note how many teeth are present and how many are missing. They will examine the status of any tooth decay and the alignment of your teeth. Your dental team will be looking at the state of your existing restorations to determine if repair or replacement is needed.
Your dental team will also be examining the position of your teeth and their appearance. They will take note of any problems with the alignment of your teeth, or teeth discoloration that could affect your appearance.
A dental exam will also include an examination of support structures for your teeth, gums and bone. Your dental team will examine the consistency and texture of the gums supporting your teeth, noting any signs of bleeding or gum tissue recession.
Your Dental Exam
If you have been putting off your next dental exam, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us to schedule your next appointment for this very important dental visit.