Cleanings & Examinations
Many people wonder if making it to their biannual dental appointment is really necessary. The short answer is – yes! Good preventive care could help reduce your risk factors for certain illnesses and can simply help you achieve and maintain the level of excellent oral health that lets you look and feel your best.
Providing Your Medical History
Your biannual visit is a great opportunity to tell your dentist about any issues or discomfort you’ve been experiencing in your mouth. You’ll also want to give a detailed description of your medical history and come prepared with a list of all medications that you take.
Knowing about your medical history allows your dentist to gain a better understanding of your overall health. After all, there is a strong systemic link between the health of your mouth and the prevalence of many serious health concerns. For example, periodontitis is associated with heart disease, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and low birth weight in babies born to mothers with the disease.
Examinations
Symptoms of some dental conditions may be so subtle that only a dentist can identify them. During your visit, your dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth and check for signs of tooth decay. You’ll also be evaluated for risk factors associated with illnesses like bone loss and periodontal disease. This way, potential problems can be identified in their early stages while they are easily treatable. Your dentist will also check your bite and may administer x-rays or recommend other diagnostic measures.
Teeth Cleaning
During your visit, your teeth will be gently and professionally cleaned. Your dental team will meticulously remove hard-to-reach plaque. At this time, you may be given tips on how to improve your at-home care routine, and your hygienist can show you proper procedures for brushing and flossing.
A thorough teeth cleaning not only helps improve the health of your teeth, but also makes them look great! A good cleaning can actually have a whitening effect on your smile. Your cleaning will leave you looking and feeling great.
Schedule an Appointment Today!
Don’t miss your biannual visit! Contact our office and schedule an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even with excellent hygiene habits, it's easy to miss small areas of your teeth. Over time, the missed plaque will harden into tartar, which can only be removed with a dental hygienist's tools. When tartar accumulates beneath the gumline, the end result is red, puffy, inflamed gums — the beginnings of periodontal disease.
X-rays are a dentist's most important diagnostic tool. Often, problems start inside your teeth or beneath the gumline. By the time the problem is visible to the naked eye, it can be painful and more difficult to treat. Using x-rays taken on a regular basis, we can catch problems early and treat them quickly and comfortably.
Examinations are an important opportunity for us to check in with you, see how you are doing, and make sure that your teeth are healthy. We want to catch problems when they are small and can be treated easily. This allows for more comfortable and less costly dentistry for you.
Unfortunately, by the time you are in pain, simple measures are often no longer effective. Regular examinations allow us to nip this situation in the bud and keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.
Meet Our Doctors:
Nathan Thompson DMD
Dentist
Dr. Thompson is originally from Louisville, KY. He holds a BS in biology from the University of Kentucky and a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) from the University of Louisville.
After dental school, Dr. Thompson completed ...
Stanton Dunn DDS
Dentist
Dr. Dunn has a BA in biological sciences and a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery), both from Indiana University. After dental school, he completed an American Dental Association-approved general practice residency at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Dr. ...