What’s in a Check-Up?

How Often Should You Go to the Dentist?

Have you ever wondered why as a profession we recommend you come back every six months? It’s because regular dental visits are essential for the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums. And in between those examinations, it’s important that you work to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. If you need additional help, your dentist may even suggest more frequent visits.

What Goes On During a Dentist Visit?

Checking your teeth for tooth decay is just one part of a thorough dental examination. During your examination appointment, we evaluate the health of your gums, perform a head and neck examination (to look for anything out of the ordinary) and examine your mouth for any indications of oral cancer, diabetes or vitamin deficiencies, along with other systemic diseases. Oral cancer is on the rise and early detection can mean the difference between surviving it, and not! Your dentist will also examine your face, bite, saliva and movement of your lower jaw to check the health of your jaw joints (TMJs). Your dentist or dental hygienist will then clean your teeth and stress the importance of you maintaining good oral hygiene at home between visits.

Many dentists will pay special attention to plaque and tartar. This is because plaque and tartar can build up in a very short time if good oral hygiene is not practiced between visits. Food, beverages and tobacco can stain teeth as well. If not removed, soft plaque can harden on the teeth and irritate the gum tissue. If not treated, plaque can lead to gum disease.

During your regularly scheduled dental appointments, your dentist will likely look at your gums, mouth, tongue and throat. There are several routine parts to a dental examination.

The Head And Neck Examination
Your dentist will start off by:
• Examining your face
• Examining your neck
• Checking your lymph nodes
• Checking your salivary glands
• Checking your lower jaw joints (TMJs)

The Clinical Dental Examination
Your dentist will then check the soft tissues in your mouth, including:

• Tongue
• Cheeks
• Floor of your mouth
• Palate
• Oropharynx

Next, your dentist assesses the state of your teeth and gums by:

• Examining the gums
• Looking for signs of gum disease
• Checking for loose teeth
• Looking for visual evidence of tooth decay
• Checking for broken teeth
• Checking for damaged fillings
• Looking for changes in the gums covering teeth
• Evaluating any dental appliance you have
• Checking the contact between your teeth
• Taking X-rays

Then, we look at how your teeth function:

• Jaw opening and closing, and left and right movement
• Checking your bite
• Gaps you may have
• How worn your teeth are

Lastly, if you want we look at aesthetics and if any improvements can be made.

The Dental Cleaning
During your dental visit, your dental professional cleans your mouth using these methods:

• Checking the cleanliness of your teeth and gums
• Removing any plaque and tartar
• Polishing your teeth
• Flossing between your teeth
• Reviewing recommended brushing and flossing techniques

Once your examination and cleaning have been performed, they’ll tell you about the health of your teeth and gums and then make any additional recommendations. It’s important that you see your dentist every six months and that they give you routine examination and cleaning. Remember, by seeing your dentist on a regular basis and following daily good oral hygiene practices at home, you are more likely to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

So, in a nut shell, that’s what we do. The most fulfilling part of a dentist job is keeping their patient’s mouth’s healthy with as little intervention as possible. It’s also much better to stop any problems sooner than later and early intervention is possible with regular checks and screenings.

So, Looking For a New Dentist or Not Been For a While?

It’s always scary seeing a new dentist, whether you have been going regularly or haven’t been in a long time. Our dedicated team at Chepstow Dental Care are on hand to walk you through the process. We want our patients to feel comfortable at all times and know that they are in safe hands. We pride ourselves in striving to provide that extra layer of service that we all want. If this is you, why not take advantage of our offer this month:
Book a new patient consultation and extensive new patient examination for the reduced price of £39, normally £60.

or,

Book a new patient consultation, extensive new patient examination and 30minute hygiene appointment for £75 – worth £110

Not sure what to book? Give our treatment co-ordinator Liz a call and she will talk it through with you.