Dental Exam
Covington, WA
Dental Exams provided by Kyle S. Blair, DDS
in Covington, WA at Covington Family Dental
 Regular dental exams are key to ensuring your oral health is in excellent condition. Unfortunately, most people don't take dental checkups seriously. A dental exam is fundamental, and you should strive to come in for regular checkups.
Our experts at Covington Family Dental encourage you to take good care of your oral health by scheduling dental exams. This will help prevent oral conditions from developing.
What is a Dental Exam?
A dental exam is a comprehensive evaluation of your teeth and gums. It is crucial for children and adults to get a dental checkup at least once every six months. This is crucial because it helps keep your oral health in perfect condition. When answering what a dental exam is, our team takes time to enlighten patients on the crucial role it plays in preventing the development of oral issues.
Some oral conditions like gum disease can become highly dangerous if not treated promptly. A dental exam will help identify these conditions in time and get them treated early. We use dental exams to check for conditions like gum disease, tooth decay, and periodontitis.
An early diagnosis makes it easy to treat them. Besides, we use dental exams to teach you the best ways to care for your teeth and gums.
What is Done During a Dental Exam?
Many people are not sure of what to expect during a dental exam. Here are some of the things we do during a dental check-up.
Examining Your Oral Health
One of the first things we do is examine your oral health. If it is your first appointment at our offices, we will ask about your medical history and some of the oral conditions you have dealt with. If you have been examined by a dentist before, we will ask about any changes you have experienced in your oral health.
Checking your medical history and the conditions you have had will ensure no complications during the exam. The goal is to ensure you remain in the best possible condition.
Examining Your Teeth, Gums, and Jaw
After checking your medical history, the next step is examining your teeth, gums, and jaw. We use a metal probe with an angled mirror to check for any warning signs of cavities. We also see between and behind your teeth to ensure they are in good condition.
Signs of softening dentin and enamel could mean developing cavities. Keep in mind that the enamel is the hard outer surface of your tooth that protects the underlying dentin. The dentin houses the pulp at the center of your tooth.
Apart from your teeth, a routine dental exam also checks for any signs of issues with your gums. Redness, swelling, or sores on your gums could signify gum infection. We will also measure the spaces between the top of the gum line and the tooth socket, also referred to as periodontal pockets. If the periodontal pockets are deeper than three millimeters, it could be a sign of periodontitis. In that case, our team will start treatment right away.
In line with what to expect during a dental exam, our team will also evaluate your jawbone. We will feel your jawbone while you bite down to ensure there is no clicking sound from the joints. We will check for any signs of jaw clenching, such as damaged teeth grooves. These checks will ensure your oral health is in excellent condition.
Professional Cleaning and Polishing
Another thing you should expect during a dental exam is professional teeth cleaning and polishing. The process typically entails a thorough cleaning by our experts to ensure no damage is done. We will get rid of any tartar or plaque deposits by scraping above and below the gum line.
We also perform professional teeth cleaning by thoroughly flossing them to get rid of stuck food particles. Studies have shown that flossing done by a professional reduces the risk of tooth decay and dental cavities by 40%.
Therefore, we ensure that we floss your teeth thoroughly during the dental exam. After finishing the cleaning process, we use a spinning polisher to give your teeth a shiny, smooth finish. The polisher is also used to remove any residues of food particles, tartar, and plaque. This goes a long way in ensuring you have a bright, healthy smile.
A dental check-up is not only for cosmetic reasons but also helps keep oral infections at bay. When we detect oral diseases early, it becomes easier to treat them and prevent them from developing.
Importance of Dental Exams
There are several reasons why dental exams are important. Here are a few points demonstrating the importance of dental exams.
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They Prevent Gum Disease and Cavities: Regular dental exams help prevent gum disease and cavities. When you come in for a dental check-up, our team will detect the early onset of these oral conditions and take steps to stop them. We can also prevent further damage to these conditions by using fluoride treatment. This helps keep your oral health in good condition.
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Keeps Your Smile Healthy and Bright: Another importance of dental exams is that they keep your smile bright and healthy. Given the porous nature of your tooth enamel, certain drinks and foods can easily stain your teeth and affect your smile. Our team will reverse this situation by removing the mild staining and restoring your bright smile. If you have advanced stains on your teeth, we can consider performing a whitening procedure.
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Protects Your Oral Health: Another reason why dental exams are important is that they protect your oral and physical health. Coming in for dental checks can increase your lifespan. The American Dental Association says that untreated tooth conditions will not only cause gum disease and tooth decay but could also result in cardiovascular problems. |
Schedule Your Dental Exam Appointment Today!
Dental exams are a crucial part of your oral health, and our professionals at Covington Family Dental are ready to help when you come in. We will help keep your oral health in excellent condition by performing a comprehensive and accurate dental exam.
Call us today at 253.499.6155 to schedule your appointment. |
