5 Signs You Need a Dental Exam

A dental exam is a checkup to assess your overall oral health and to help detect any future health problems early on. Brushing twice daily and flossing after meals does not always guarantee you optimal oral health. Therefore, visiting your dentist is very crucial for the wellbeing of your teeth, your gums, and your overall health.

A dental exam helps to detect any sign of disease, cavities, or any other problems before you can even notice. Therefore, make it a habit to visit your dentist regularly.

What happens during a dental exam?

During a dental check-up, your dentist will thoroughly clean your teeth and your gum by scraping below your gum line. They will remove any built-up plaque and tartar that could cause your teeth to decay or cause gum disease. Then, the dentist polishes and flosses your teeth. In the case of a dental cavity, your dentist will determine whether to restore the affected tooth or to replace it.

Your dentist then examines your teeth, your mouth, and your gums to check for any possibilities of diseases or any other problems. During a dental exam, your dentist can recommend an x-ray to help detect a broken jawbone, cavities between your teeth, impacted teeth, and abscesses which could otherwise not be noticed with naked eyes.

Your dentist will take this opportunity to educate you on a proper diet or even demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques. Dental visits should be done on a regular basis. It is recommended that you should visit your dentist every six months. However, in case of any problem with your oral health, schedule a dental appointment, and get checked as soon as possible.

Signs that you need a dental exam

1. Toothache

Toothaches could be caused by a dental cavity. Mostly a painful dental cavity can be experienced when the cavity goes down into the inner layers of the dentin. If a cavity goes untreated for long, it can be quite painful and can cause bad breath. Depending on the extent of the cavity, your dentist may decide to restore the tooth or replace it with an artificial tooth.

2. Teeth sensitivity

Teeth sensitivity can be caused by erosion or abrasion of your teeth enamel and even by a tooth cavity. Erosion of your enamel could be a result of consuming acidic drinks or excessive whitening of teeth, especially with hydrogen peroxide. Abrasion of the enamel is caused by vigorous brushing of your teeth.

All of these activities wear the enamel by exposing the inner dentin. Teeth sensitivity mostly occurs when you consume cold or hot drinks, sweetened or acidic foods, or even by cold air. It can be very painful and uncomfortable therefore a visit to your dentist would do you much good.

3. Bleeding Gums

Bleeding of the gums can be a result of injuries inflicted on your gums due to vigorous teeth brushing. However, regular gum bleeding can be a sign of gum disease, and therefore a visit to your dentist would help determine the cause of the gums bleeding. Therefore, the dentist can treat it early on.

4. Bad breath

Bad breath can be a result of eating certain foods, consuming certain drinks, or even smoking tobacco. However, in case of continuous bad breath even after carrying out the proper oral hygiene, you need to get a dental check-up and the dentist will recommend the necessary medication.

5. A problem with a dental implant or a denture

A denture or an implant may break if the patient is not careful. They can become loose over time since when people age, the gum changes in shape and size. An immediate full denture may loosen as the gums and jawbone heal from the removal of the natural teeth. In case of any of these problems with the dental implant or denture or any other dental work, schedule an appointment with your dentist and let the dentist take care of the problem but do not interfere with this dental work, as you may damage them further.

Some signs may be a false alarm but a visit to your dentist will not do you any harm. Make it a habit to regularly visit your dentist even when you are feeling okay. Your dental caregiver may discover a problem even before you start to feel pain or discomfort.

Request an appointment here: https://thelaureldentist.com or call Montpelier Family Dentistry at (301) 605-1132 for an appointment in our Laurel office.