Dental Exams and Check-Ups

How Important is Oral Hygiene?

Taking great care of your teeth is a necessity when it comes to leading a happy and healthy life. Teeth that are in good shape will last a lifetime and will continue to help provide you with the ability to speak, eat, and even function in the matter to which you are accustomed. To help keep your teeth in great shape and avoid any potential pain or embarrassment caused by teeth that have to be extracted or that become decayed and infected, it is important to make regular trips to visit us!

At Van Alstine Family Dentistry, we know that our patients are busy. We also know, however, that maintaining the health of your teeth is something that should never be overlooked. We work hard to get you in and out as quickly as possible so that you can maintain good oral health without investing more of your precious free time than necessary.

The Importance Of Dental Cleanings

As much as we might wish it were otherwise, dental cleanings are a necessary part of any good oral care routine. You might think that you are taking great care of your teeth at home—and maybe you are! But there are certain things that eventually build up on the surface of everyone’s teeth, regardless of how well you brush and how regularly you floss. That is why you need to come in to visit us regularly so that we can clean your teeth and make sure that they are healthy and strong. Additionally, we can use the time to double-check any fillings for any problems as well as ensure that your gums are healthy and look normal.

When we have taken the time to check your mouth and gums quickly for any signs of injury or decay, we will begin to clean your teeth. We will use some different tools to remove plaque and hard mineral build-up, tartar, from your teeth. We will floss, apply fluoride if necessary, and then polish your teeth to help them feel especially squeaky clean. Note that cleanings are not usually a long process and do not usually cause notable pain for patients.

Reasons For Dental Exams

Dental exams are different from dental cleanings. While the cleaning is focused on, well, cleaning your mouth, an exam is more deeply focused on exploring your mouth and your teeth for any signs of developing problems, including:

• Tooth decay
• Damage to existing fillings or crowns
• Gum disease

A dental exam might even see you having some x-rays done so that we can have a bit more insight into your mouth and what is going on in it. We strive to find any issues that might be brewing that is not immediately visible just by a visual examination.