The most common reason for patients to visit us for at Parkwest Dental is a routine examination and cleaning. While some only visit during dental emergencies, or to help fix an obvious problem, having regularly scheduled visits is highly recommended by us and other dental professionals worldwide. Why do people visit the dentist regularly, and how is this beneficial?
People visit the dentist for a variety of important reasons. Of these, the most important reason is to prevent problems from ever occurring, rather than only visiting once an emergency has already happened. Most regularly scheduled visits are comprised of two parts: an exam and a cleaning.
All of our dental professionals are genuinely interested in keeping your oral health maintained as well as possible. The first step in keeping your mouth healthy is a thorough examination of your mouth, teeth, gums, jaw and sometimes your neck and face. Most of this visual exam is done with a mirror used to view parts of your mouth that you may never see. This is useful for quickly checking the condition of the surfaces in your mouth. Beyond the use of their eyes alone, your dentist may get x-ray images of your mouth. These will help your dentist see any issues in your jaw, subdermal tissues or teeth that are not visible to the naked eye.
Once the exam is complete, your dentist will begin a thorough cleaning of your teeth and gums. First, any tartar or plaque on your teeth will be scraped away with a handheld, hooked, metal tool called a scalar. It may feel uneasy to have a metal tool scraping your teeth, but do not worry! It is highly effective when done by a professional, such as your dentist. The remaining plaque is done away with via an electric brush and a special abrasive toothpaste. After a final rinse, your cleaning is finished.
Your dentist is highly trained in identifying oral health problems. Even people who brush and floss every day may be at risk to develop certain conditions or may be missing something in their daily oral health regimen. Your regular cleaning helps prevent any missed spots from becoming serious problems later down the line. If you have any questions or need to schedule an exam, visit us at Parkwest Dental and come on into our local Westland dental office today!