What to Expect at Your First North Houston Teeth Cleaning
When you visit our Houston dentist for your first dental checkup cleaning, there are many things that you can expect to take place. Here are some of the steps to plan for:
Dental X-Rays
One of the first things that our hygienists will do is take x-rays of all your teeth. This is something that we do periodically to check for dental issues that might be developing but we can’t see by just looking in your mouth. It also provides as a baseline to compare future visits against.
Screening for Gum Disease
Checking your mouth for gum disease is crucial for ensuring that you’re getting the proper preventative treatment. Healthy gums are tight against a tooth, but if there’s infection and an accumulation of buildup, then the gum will be loose, puffy, and pulled away from the root.
To screen for gum disease our hygienist will use a special instrument that like a small ruler. From the top of the gum, the ruler is gently inserted behind the tissue to see how deep it sinks before resting on the attached gingiva. If it goes further than 3 mm before it stops, then it likely means there’s a periodontal infection present in that area.
Dental Cleaning
If you passed your gum disease screening, then our hygienist will proceed with your dental cleaning. This process includes removing all plaque and tartar buildup that accumulated since your last checkup, then flossing and polishing your teeth.
If your test results determined that you have gum disease, then we’ll discuss the findings with you. There are different levels of gum disease and a simple cleaning won’t always take care of each one. Some people require a special therapy called root planing and scaling, while other folks that have advanced gum disease may be faced with requiring gum surgery.
Oral Exam
The dentist will check your x-rays for decay, abscesses, bone loss, cysts, or anything else that’s abnormal; then, they’ll perform a thorough oral exam that involves:
Looking for decay, cracks, breaks, etc. – Some things can be seen by a skilled eye, but don’t show up in x-rays
TMJ Disorder – Our dentist will evaluate your TMJ function to determine if you have problems in or around your joint.
Oral cancer screening – Your lymph nodes and the tissues (both soft and hard) of your mouth will be checked for any suspicious lesions that could be oral cancer or precancerous tissue.
Gum recession – Having recessed gums can cause other problems to occur; if we spot areas of gum recession it’s important to determine the source, so that we can help prevent it from getting worse. In some cases, we’ll need to step in and repair certain areas with a graft.
Dentist in North Houston
To find a great dentist in Houston that has your oral health as their top priority, then it’s time to come see Dr. Sasan Bastani, DDS of North Houston Dentistry. Schedule your next checkup with us today! We are currently running a new patient special for new patients which includes a FREE EXAM & FREE X-RAYS WITH TREATMENT. CALL TODAY!
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