Heringer Dentistry

Why Dental Exams and Professional Cleanings Are Important

Jan 6, 2015 @ 10:39 AM — by Dr. Everett Heringer
Tagged with: General Dentistry

Heringer Dentistry has been serving the greater Bismarck area with comprehensive family dentistry that focuses on cosmetics and total wellness. While aesthetic and restorative care are both crucial parts of this approach to dentistry, the staple of good dental care is the regular dental exam, which patients shouldn't take for granted.

Routine checkups twice a year allow you to get the kind of dental care that only a professional can provide. Yes, brushing and flossing is still important, but routine checkups are just as crucial for advanced dental health and wellness.

Taking X-rays and Doing Advanced Diagnostics

Dental x-rays are an important part of the regular exam process. These x-rays provide dentists with a detailed look at the inner structure of the teeth, gums, jawbone, and jaw joint. By getting this detailed imagery, your dentist will be able to identify different kinds of dental problems and also prevent minor problems from progressing into major ones.

How Professional Cleanings Work

Professional dental cleanings are an important part of improving your dental health. Your dentist and a hygienist will target those hard to reach parts of your mouth using an electric brush. In addition to the professional polish and full flossing, some minor scraping will be done if there are visible plaque and tartar deposits on your teeth.

Looking at Your Teeth and Gums Up Close

The close examination of the teeth and gums is another important part of the dental exam process. Your dentist will be able to check for chips and cracks as well as other kinds of major damage to the tooth structure. This close exam will also allow your dentist to note recession of the gums, discoloration of the gum tissue, or even problematic lesions and sores that may be the sign of another dental health issue.

Discussing Your Dental Health Needs and Providing Tips for At-Home Care

It's important that you bring up any dental health concerns that you've noticed between visits. This could be persistent dry mouth, chronic bad breath, or odd sensations in your jaw joint. Bringing up these problems with your dentist will allow any potential issues to be checked, and it could mean preventing more serious issues down the road.

In addition to bringing up your own concerns about your dental health, your dentist will often provide some tips for improving your dental care. This could mean the right kinds of products to purchase to enhance your dental health, or it may mean making improvements to your current dental hygiene practices.

This kind of dialogue with a dental health professional is extremely important and something that's extremely beneficial to all patients.

Planning Your Future Dental Treatment Needs

If you require future dental visits for advanced therapies or restorative care, these can be discussed and planned in greater detail during your routine checkup. All risks, benefits, and side effects can be discussed so you understand how your dentist will help you smile with confidence again.

Schedule a Consultation at Heringer Dentistry

For more information about advanced dental care treatments and how we can improve your overall dental health and wellness, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. At Heringer Dentistry, we will be more than happy to answer all of your questions and address all of your concerns in full detail.