Ten Things You Didn't Know Your Dentist Was Doing at Your Checkup

When you schedule your appointment with your dentist, you assume the meeting is merely to clean your teeth. Unfortunately, you are mistaken because your dentist looks for more in your mouth during your appointment. Kindly continue reading to learn about the ten things you never thought your dentist was doing in your mouth during your checkup.

1. Oral Cancer Screening: are you aware that your dentist examines your mouth for oral cancer every time you schedule an appointment at six monthly intervals? As part of Cancer prevention efforts, your dentist checks your oral cavity, including your lips, head, neck, and mouth tissues, such as the tongue surface, for identifiable signs of cancer. The dentist also looks for abnormalities in your mouth or symptoms that might lead to oral cancer.
2. Tongue Examination: Your dentist examines your tongue closely to check its size and texture to ensure your mouth is healthy. The size and surface of your tongue help your dentist determine plenty about your dental health besides your overall health.
3. Checking Every Tooth: Every tooth is checked by your dentist during a dental exam and cleaning. Dentists use tiny mirrors and a dental explorer when checking teeth for health concerns. In addition, dentists pay close attention to the hard outer layer of your teeth, the enamel looking for signs of problems like bruxism that can cause dental problems because of teeth grinding and clenching.
4. Salivary Gland Inspection: your salivary glands also undergo an examination during the dental procedure to examine and clean your teeth. The dentist checks the glands to confirm whether you are producing sufficient saliva because it is essential to wash away bacteria and prevent cavities, infections, mouth bacteria, and halitosis.
5. Tonsils Examination: Your dentist examines your tonsils, looking for signs of swelling or infections. Similar to your tongue, your tonsils also provide plenty of information about health problems present in your body.
6. Temporomandibular Joint Examination: if you have never heard about your temporomandibular joint, it is the joint connecting your jawbone to your skull. Your dentist ensures the joint is working as desired and not causing eating problems, headaches, earaches, et cetera.
7. Examining Your Bite: your bite also undergoes checking for alignment purposes to ensure your teeth haven’t moved recently. If your dentist thinks you may need orthodontic treatment to improve your bite and smile, they recommend you see the dentist in Phoenix with training in orthodontics for help.
8. Gum Examination: during a dental exam, the dentist examines your gums thoroughly, looking for signs of bleeding and swelling. They also measure the gum pockets between your teeth and gums because they indicate the presence of a severe infection in your mouth, periodontal disease, which doesn’t have a cure for the condition. If you have this infection in your mouth, it becomes a lifelong companion requiring you to pay more attention to your dental hygiene routine besides scheduling more frequent appointments with your dentist for invasive treatments.
9. Appropriate Oral Hygiene Habits: during your appointment, your dentist will discuss appropriate oral hygiene habits and stress upon proper brushing and flossing techniques. They will also discuss why it is essential to brush your teeth and how many times you must indulge in the practice daily.
10. Building A Dental Foundation: during your oral exam, your dentist aims to create a stable dental foundation to ensure optimal teeth and overall health. In addition, they convince you that your exams are more than just scheduled for cleaning by doing all the abovementioned things within the time allotted to you.

When you visit your dentist after every six months, the professional undoubtedly cleans your teeth and gums, ensuring they remove all plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth and beneath your gum line. In addition, the cleaning ensures you don’t become a victim of periodontal disease or develop cavities in your teeth because dental plaque is responsible for both infections.

In addition, the dentist emphasizes the essentiality of brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes each, flossing once regardless of when you do it, and seeing them every six months or earlier if your situation demands it to help keep your teeth and mouth healthy.

If you thought your dentist merely cleaned your teeth during a meeting after six months, you would be surprised to know what On Pointe Dentistry does in your mouth during the one-hour appointment. If you schedule your appointment with this practice, you will undergo a thorough examination with all the above because the dentist cares for your teeth, gums, and oral cavity.