One of the best ways to keep your smile clean and your teeth healthy is through regular dental hygiene exams. We recommend that you come see us for an exam and cleaning every six months.
What is a dental hygiene exam?
Dental hygiene exams are more than just a thorough cleaning of your teeth. This is where we look for any irregularities in your mouth and address any concerns that you may have about your oral health. If you have any questions about your teeth, this is a great time to have a conversation with us.
What will happen at my hygiene exam?
One of our main focuses during these check-ups is open and honest communication between doctor and patient. This is why we use tools such as digital X-rays and cameras to aid our examinations. These project images of your mouth onto the screen and make it simple and easy to show and explain what’s happening inside your mouth. At Edwards Family Dental, we treat our patients like family. In this spirit, we believe in explaining all of your dental options and treatment and mapping out all your choices for you clearly and transparently. This will allow you to make the best possible decision for your oral health. We will give you all the facts and help you every step of the way.
Why are hygiene exams important?
Even if you brush and floss regularly, bacteria and plaque can still easily build-up around your teeth. As part of your exam, we will scrape away these build-ups. Additionally, conditions such as oral cancer can have little to no side effects, and are treated much more effectively if they are caught early. A hygiene exam will help us catch serious conditions quickly, which will lead to more effective treatment. They will also allow us to watch any changes in your teeth, mouth, tongue, and gums to keep everything healthy and on track.
What if I’m scared of the dentist?
We understand that phobias surrounding the dentist and dental treatment are quite common. We are here to do anything we can to ease any anxiety you have surrounding dental treatment. One of the ways we do this is through offering nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas. If you are apprehensive about your treatment, laughing gas may help to ease some of your stress and to relax. Laughing gas is a mild form of sedation dentistry that will simply calm your nerves and help you to feel more at ease. When your treatment is over, the effects of the gas will wear off in just a few minutes, so that you can go about your daily activities.
You should plan to come in for an oral hygiene exam twice a year to make sure everything is running smoothly. If you are due for an exam or cleaning, or if you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, give us a call today. We will schedule an exam and cleaning and get your dental health back on track in no time.