Personal Dental Care: Yes, You Have To Go To The Dentist

Even if you say that you take care of your teeth very well, you still can’t evade the fact that you still must go and visit your dentist at least twice a year. Sure, it’s not fun to go to the dentist but if you really want to achieve the best personal dental care for your teeth, regular visits to the dentist would be of great help to you.

What Happens at a Typical Visit to the Dentist

Going to the dentist every six months is considered more as prevention against cavities, plaque build-up and other teeth and mouth-related problems. The goal of dentists is to prevent gun disease, tooth decay, and other disorders that put the health of your teeth and mouth in jeopardy.

A casual consultation with a dentist will usually consist of three parts: a medical and dental history (This is where the dentist asks questions about tooth care and reviews past dental records), dental examination and professional cleaning (oral prophylaxis).

The dentist will then examine the gums, teeth and other tissues surrounding the mouth. The joints of the jaws may also be included in the examination to check for the over-all health of an individual’s mouth.

Dentists usually use a probe and mirror to check the crown (the visible part) of each tooth for evidence of looseness, decay, or plaque. The dentist may also check the quality of your bite and the way your teeth fit together.

After checking the teeth, the dentist will usually proceed to examine the general condition of the gums. Healthy gums are pink and firm – not swollen, soft or inflamed. If the dentist can find deep depressions (or pockets), he or she might suspect that an individual has gum disease.

When the dentist is finished examining the visible parts of the mouth and teeth, the dentist will then take X-rays that could possibly reveal abscesses, tooth decay, or impacted wisdom teeth. Abscesses should really be discovered right away because it involves collection of pus surrounded by tissues that are swollen. If it won’t be treated right away, it might be a source for other complications.

Why Professional Cleaning Is Better Than Normal Tooth Brushing Professional cleaning aims to remove hard deposits with the use of a scraping instrument named a scaler. Aside from a scaler, an ultrasonic machine may also be used by the dentist; it uses high frequency sound waves to facilitate the loosening of plaque deposits.

After cleaning, most dental hygienists will polish the teeth. Polishing of the teeth smoothens and cleans the teeth’s surfaces, removing annoying stains and making the teeth more resistant to plaque. There are also some dental hygiene packages that consists of application of fluoride sealant or compound to help prevent or slow down decay.

Going To The Dentist Isn’t So Bad After All

Now that you are already aware of what happens during a regular trip to the dentist, you would probably think that a trip to the dentist won’t be so bad, right?

If you want to promote personal dental care, you should be the first one to have the initiative to go to the dentist.  You can’t achieve the best personal dental care if you just depend on yourself and your resources at home.

Dentists are equipped with tools, machines and instruments that would surely make your teeth and mouth cleaner, fresher and better.