The Preventative Care dental examination

It is important to have a Preventative Care dental examination at regular intervals. It will detect and diagnose mouth problems and treat abnormalities and injuries to the teeth, gums and jaws. This examination is necessary periodically even if one maintains a healthy oral hygiene.

In addition, certain conditions or lifestyle habits can affect oral health, for example, the consumption of tobacco or alcohol, certain general illnesses or the use of medications.

The dentist is the best qualified specialist to screen for oral cancers and other diseases with oral manifestations. However, the earlier the cancer of the mouth is detected, the better the chances of survival. In fact, the chances of survival in people whose cancer has been detected at an early stage are 80%, whereas they fall to 20% in people who have been diagnosed late.

During the oral exam, the dentist will check for cavities, infections, defective fillings, oral cancers and other diseases or oral abnormalities. Prostheses, appliances and dental implants will also be examined.

Cleaning

Even if good oral hygiene is maintained, it is necessary to periodically clean the teeth professionally to remove plaque and scale deposits that could adversely affect oral health.

During your oral cleaning, the dental hygienist will remove tartar, plaque, and stains from your teeth. It will polish the different surfaces of your teeth to clean them, soften them and prevent the accumulation of deposits.

Professional cleaning is therefore a necessary complement to oral hygiene Preventative Care made by the patient at home, namely brushing and flossing.

Sealing of wells and cracks

In order to prevent the development of cavities, a protective layer is applied to the closure of the wells and cracks of the teeth located at the back of the mouth. Wells and fissures are the natural crevices found on the mastication surface of the teeth. Thus, the mastication surface becomes smooth so that bacteria and food debris can not become lodged and form tooth decay. This treatment is more common in children and adolescents, but it can also be used in adults.

During the Preventative Care dental examination, your dentist checks:

• the state of your teeth
• the presence of cavities
• the condition of your gums
• the presence of infection
• the state of your language
• soft tissues under the tongue
• the palate and the inside of the cheeks
• the state of your lips
• the state of the ganglia
• the adequate presence of saliva
• the presence of bad breath
• occlusion (relationships between teeth, closed jaws)
• your ability to chew, open and close the jaw
• the state of restorations (amalgam, composite, crown, etc.)
• the state of dental prostheses
• the condition of dental implants
• X-rays
• the jaw joint