Check-Up and Clean
Catching Issues Early
Oral Hygiene At Home
Routine Check-Up & Cleans: An essential ingredient for a healthy smile!
Routine dental check-ups are essential for monitoring and maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. By prioritizing preventive care through regular appointments, you can avoid more serious dental issues before they arise.
Your routine dental visit is also the perfect time to share any concerns or discomfort you may be currently experiencing.
At Your Appointment
During your visit, your dentist will conduct a thorough examination of your mouth to check for signs of tooth decay or gingivitis. We also screen for signs of oral cancers, problems with the TMJ (jaw joint), and bone loss associated with periodontal disease. As part of this examination we advise diagnostic x-rays every two years to check for decay that isn’t immediately visible in the mouth. These x-rays are the only way of checking in between your teeth, and for checking for decay underneath existing fillings.
Although regular home brushing can remove soft plaque, tartar, also known as calculus, can only be removed by a dental cleaning. Tartar is a hardened form of plaque that forms on your teeth when plaque is not removed by brushing or flossing and, if left untreated, can lead to gum disease requiring specialised treatment and, in severe cases, tooth loss.
Regular dental cleanings are essential to remove tartar buildup, and your dentist or hygienist can show you proper brushing and flossing techniques to ensure your at-home care is as effective as possible.
Early dental issues often do not hurt, and by the time you experience pain or symptoms there may be a significant problem. For example, when a cavity is small it often does not cause pain, however whilst it remains untreated it will continue to increase in size, eventually reaching the tooth nerve causing a toothache, which will then require either extraction or root canal treatment.
Even teeth that are infected occasionally do not cause pain. Dental infections can be present for an extended period of time without causing issues, however can flare up when your immune system is strained, leading to facial swelling or systemic infection. Dentists can detect these infections and advise on treatment options before these teeth have a chance to make you sick.
Gum disease also does not cause pain in most circumstances. Signs of gum disease include bleeding of the gums when you brush or floss, recession (tooth lengthening), or red and puffy gums. However, active gum disease can lead to loss of the tissues that keep the teeth in the mouth. As the disease progresses the teeth can become loose, and by the time pain presents there is often not much that can be done to save the teeth. During routine check-ups dentists can diagnose gum disease and organise treatment to prevent progression so you can keep your teeth for life.
If any treatment is needed, we will always take the time to explain and discuss your options, and answer any questions you may have.
When patients ask how they can prevent dental issues, we recommend focusing on at-home oral hygiene, and regular dental check-up and cleans every six months. While this will be suitable for most patients, some may require more frequent cleanings to maintain optimal oral health.
At Polar Dental, we aim to make dentistry comfortable and accessible to all our patients. We invite you to discuss with us any particular needs or concerns you may have with regards to your treatment.
