What a Family Dentist Looks for During an Exam?

If you want to maintain your dental health and improve your overall well-being, you should never skip your routine dental exams. In this article, we’re looking into the procedures a dentist performs during a dental exam and checkup that can safeguard your oral health and improve your smile.

How Does a Dental Examination Work?

Here's an outline of what you can expect from a dental exam:

Dental Health Review

Your oral health can be affected by factors like prescription medication, your diet, or your work schedule. The first step of the dental examination is a review of your oral hygiene habits. The dentist will be able to recommend the most suitable options and solutions that will keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Dental Cleaning 

Before starting the exam, the dentist will thoroughly clean your teeth and eliminate plaque and tartar buildup. The dentist will also evaluate the teeth and their supporting structures, checking for lesions or swelling.

Oral Cavity Examination

After the dental cleaning, the following step is a comprehensive dental exam. The dentist will look for any indications of gum disease, gum recession, or decayed or loose teeth, as well as any other problems affecting your oral health. 

The dentist uses dental mirrors to check your oral cavity in detail, using their skills and experience to detect dental and gum problems but also determine how to best prevent them. 

Dental X-rays

If the dentist detects any significant concerns during the dental examination, we will perform more tests and take X-rays as needed. X-rays enable the dentist to examine areas of the oral cavity that are not visible, such as the bone, jaw, and abnormalities located under the gum line. 

Additionally, the X-rays provide details about jawbone density, bite alignment, and other factors such as signs of oral cancer, teeth grinding, decay between the teeth, or around an old filling.

Customized Oral Health Advice and Treatment

A regular dental exam will make your smile cleaner, brighter, and more youthful. It is important to follow a good oral hygiene routine after the dental exam in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums. After the examination, our dentist will give you specific recommendations to help you maintain your oral health and overall well-being.

The dentist will often recommend you return to the dental office every six months after completing the checkup or the treatment for any identified oral conditions. If the patient’s oral health condition is more complex, the dentist may recommend more frequent visits.

To learn more about what happens during a dental exam, schedule an appointment with Dr. Jayme A. Oliveira Filho at Alencar Family Dentistry. To get in touch, call (757) 546-0301, book on our website, or visit us at 711 Greenbrier Pkwy Suite 101, Chesapeake, VA 23320.