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Do I Need a Dental Checkup?
Everyone needs regular dental checkups. The reason is simple: even if you brush and floss every day, only your dentist is trained to notice problems with your teeth, gums and mouth. During a checkup, your dentist looks for gum disease, cavities, loose fillings, broken teeth, signs of infection, early signs of oral cancer, and any other signs of problems that could affect your general health.
Even if you have dental implants or wear dentures, your dentist will check to see if they are:
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Wearing out anywhere.
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Fitting properly.
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Being properly cleaned.
If you take medicine that makes your mouth dry, or causes your gums to swell, you need to have a dentist take a close look.
What is a dental checkup?
A dental checkup is a thorough examination of your teeth, gums, mouth and related areas around the mouth. The checkup usually includes some or all of the following:
1. Medical history update
During the checkup, tell your dentist about your general health if you:
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Smoke.
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Have any allergies.
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Wear a medical device like a pacemaker.
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Are pregnant.
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Are taking any over-the-counter, prescription or herbal medications (if so, give your dentist a list of your medications and dosage information).
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Have changed medication since your last checkup.
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Are being treated for a health problem or a medical condition.
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Have any changes in your general health.
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Have had surgery.
2. Dental history update
During the checkup, tell your dentist about any problems or changes to your teeth, gums or mouth. Tell you dentist if:
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Your teeth are loose, have changed color or have moved.
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Your teeth or gums are more sensitive to hot or cold temperatures or sweet foods or drinks.
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Your gums have changed color or if they are tender or bleed when you brush or floss.
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Floss catches on rough edges of your teeth.
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The skin on the inside of your mouth has changed color.
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You are clenching or grinding your teeth.
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You are nervous about visiting the dentist.
3. Dental examination and treatment
During the dental examination, your dentist looks closely at your teeth, gums and mouth. Your dentist is specially trained to spot any problems such as cavities, gum disease and infections. Many small problems may be caught and treated right away.
4. Consultation and advice
At this point, your dentist may discuss any concerns that he or shy may have with your oral health and suggest an appropriate treatment plan. This is also a good time for you to ask questions.
5. Cleaning
A professional cleaning is the only way to remove tartar and plaque buildup from teeth. Plaque is an invisible film that occurs naturally in your mouth and sticks firmly to your teeth. It contains bacteria (germs) and forms on your teeth every day. If plaque is not removed daily by brushing and flossing, it hardens into tartar. If tartar is not removed, it builds up around your teeth and under your gum lines, making it impossible to properly clean your teeth of plaque. Over time, plaque buildup can eventually lead to gum disease. The main steps in a cleaning are scaling and polishing. Scaling removes tartar and plaque buildup from teeth. Polishing smooths and cleans the surfaces of the teeth.
How often should I have a dental checkup?
How often you visit your dentist for checkups depends on:
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How well you care for your teeth and gums.
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Whether there are any problems that need to be watched or that need treatment.
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How quickly tartar builds up on your teeth.
After your checkup, your dentist will be better able to suggest when to come back from your next visit. Regular visits to the dentist will help to catch small problems early before they become serious problems later.
Dental anxiety
Do you experience nervousness before or during a visit to your dentist? The feeling is called dental anxiety. Generally, the anxiety comes from the fear that you will feel pain during your visit. In some people, the fear is so bad that it keeps them away from the dentist and puts their oral health in danger. However, new ways of doing things have made modern dentistry almost painless. If you are afraid of going to the dentist for any reason, don't hesitate to talk to your dentist about it.
Who's who in the dental care team
As the leader of the oral health care team, your dentist works closely with the dental hygienist, the dental assistant and the dental office staff to keep you and your mouth healthy. Each member plays an important role on the oral health care team.
Your dentist
Your dentist is your oral health care expert and knows how the health of your teeth, gums and mouth relates to your general health. Only your dentist has the training, skill and expertise to:
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Examine and diagnose your oral health condition.
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Recommend and carry out treatment.
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Inform you about the general oral health care you need after treatment or surgery.
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Meet all your oral health care needs.
The dental hygienist
The dental hygienist works together with your dentist to prevent dental disease and keep your mouth healthy. The dental hygienist is registered and certified to clean your teeth and discuss with you the importance of caring for your teeth and gums at home.
The dental hygienist may do a basic examination of your teeth and gums, and will inform your dentist about the result. In some dental offices, the dentist alone performs the examination and may also provide dental hygiene care. Your dental hygienist may clean, polish and apply fluoride to your teeth, take x-rays and make dental impressions.
The dental assistant
The dental assistant helps the dentist during patient examinations and treatment procedures. The dental assistant prepares patients for treatment, passes dental instruments and materials to the dentist and keeps the mouth dry using suction during treatment procedures. The dental assistant sterilizes dental instruments and may polish and apply fluoride to your teeth, take x-rays and make dental impressions.
The dental office staff
Your dentist may have a receptionist or several dental office staff depending on the size of the practice. The office staff, including the receptionist, is often your first point of contact with a dental office. The office staff manages the flow of patients through the office by booking and scheduling appointments, taking care of billing and payments, as well as day-to-day office administrative duties.
Dental specialties
If your treatment requires specialized dental procedures, you or your dentist may be more comfortable if you see a dental specialist. Your dentist will arrange for you to consult with the specialist best suited to your needs.
In Canada, there are 9 specialty areas of dentistry:
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Endodontics.
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Oral and maxillofacial surgery.
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Oral medicine and pathology.
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Oral radiology.
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Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.
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Pediatric dentistry.
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Periodontology.
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Prosthodontics.
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Public healthy dentistry.
For a description of each special area of dentistry, ask your dentist of visit the website of the Canadian Dental Association at www.cda-adc.ca.
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