Different Types Of Dental Examinations You Will Get From Your Dentist
It has been said that a person's health may often be directly linked to the state of his/ her oral care. This is why getting regular dental checks is recommended by health experts. As your dental expert is carrying out a comprehensive examination, he/ she will be looking at much more than your teeth. The dentist will also be checking some other areas your mouth for symptoms of disease as well as other medical problems.
During your visit to the dental clinic or facility, you're most likely going receive some or all of these assessments:
A) Head And Neck Checks
The dental professional will check your face, lips and neck to confirm that you don't suffer from unusual face swellings, dry lip, bleeding or any other bodily abnormalities which would warrant further checks.
Your neck and head will be checked as will be the temporomandibular or jaw joint, the salivary glands and the lymph nodes located in the neck area.
The temporomandibular (TMJ) joint is the joint guiding your lower jaw whenever you try opening the mouth. To confirm that your TMJ is functioning as it should, you will be requested to open and shut the mouth, move the lower jaw from one side to the other.
Your lymph nodes and the salivary glands will be checked because any tenderness and swelling may be an indication of disease.
B) Soft Tissue Checks
Your mouth soft tissues include the inside of the cheeks and lips, the tongue, and the mouth roof and floor. These areas will be checked for cuts, swellings, spots and unusual growths. Exposed gums through cuts are open routes for bacteria that could lead to periodontal diseases.
C) Periodontal/ Gum Checks
This type of dental examination entails having the structure supporting your teeth and the gums checked. Symptoms of puffiness and redness may be indicative of gum disease. In case of serious complications, you may be referred to a gum specialist known as a periodontist.
D) Clinical Teeth Examination
By checking your teeth surface using special mirrors, the dental professional will locate potential areas of tooth decay. For detecting cavities, a special tool known as the explorer will be used in poking your teeth, because enamel that is decayed is generally softer than your healthy enamel.
If already you got crowns, fillings, permanent bridges, or some other form of dental restorations, all of them will be checked to ascertain they are still sound and whole, that you got no decay signs below the restorations.
E) Dental X-Rays
X-rays will be taken to assist in locating cavities which cannot be easily seen in a normal clinical exam. In addition, they provide the most appropriate way of identifying if you require root canal treatment.
F) Occlusion Assessment
This evaluation is to see how well the teeth come together when you bite. First, you will be asked to bite naturally. If your teeth don't appear to bite or fit snugly, you might be asked to bite down on some specially made wax paper and the resultant impression will guide the dental expert. The wax paper makes marks showing where the teeth are not fitting together.
About the Author
Mark Miller is an oral hygienist at Dental As Anything where your dental health is taken very seriously. He will give you all the information you need about the kinds of tests done at Dental As Anything for your benefit as you seek better oral health or try to visit http://www.dentalasanything.com.au/ for more info.
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