Professional Cleanings and Comprehensive Exams
A major component of your oral care is brushing and flossing at home. The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice daily and flossing once daily. However, even if you follow these recommendations closely, it is still possible for issues to arise. Sussex Dental can help to optimize your oral health with professional cleanings and comprehensive exams.
Professional CleaningsWhile brushing and flossing at home are essential habits for preventing oral health issues like cavities and gum disease, there are some areas of the mouth that are more difficult to access than others. Even if you follow the ADA guidelines for your at-home oral hygiene routine, plaque and bacteria can still build up, increasing your risk for complications. Professional cleanings are performed to further prevent issues from occurring. The ADA recommends that you have your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year. Your cleanings start with a thorough scaling of your teeth. Using specialized tools, we clean all surfaces of your teeth, including the areas that you may miss. We clean the fronts of the teeth, behind them, on the chewing surfaces, between them, as well as along and just below the gum line. After the teeth are scraped cleaned, they are polished to a smooth, clean finish. Finally, we floss your teeth to remove all debris from between them. If necessary, we can also provide you with a fluoride treatment.
Comprehensive ExamsIn addition to regular cleanings, the ADA also recommends twice-yearly dental exams. These exams are generally done in the same visit as your professional cleanings. Your exams are critical for the early diagnosis of a variety of different oral health issues. Many issues do not present symptoms in their earliest stages. By the time you notice something is wrong, they have progressed to require more involved, more expensive treatments.
We can spot issues in their earliest stages, which then enables us to provide you with a much less invasive treatment to restore your oral health and prevent further complications from developing. Your oral exams start with a visual inspection of your mouth. We look over your teeth, checking for signs of physical damage, decay, and wear patterns. We assess your gums for symptoms of gum disease, including redness, swelling, and gum recession. Also, a part of your visual exam is an oral cancer screening. This quick screening involves looking at the other tissues inside your mouth for any unusual growths or other abnormalities.
Exams often include dental x-rays, which are crucial for providing us with a view of the hidden parts of your mouth, including between your teeth and below your gums. We can spot cavities between teeth, root damage, issues with the jawbone, abscesses, cysts, and more. With a complete picture of your oral health, we can more easily make a diagnosis and create a more customized treatment plan for you. After your exam is complete, we take some time to speak with you. We discuss any issues we find and your treatment options. We can provide you with information on how to improve your oral care routine. We also take the time to answer any questions that you might have. Professional cleanings and exams are essential to maintain optimal oral health. If it is time to schedule your next cleaning and exam, call Sussex Dental today at (262) 246-6806. |
