Dental Examinations Bellevue, WA
Regular examinations by our dentists help detect and prevent health issues before they become serious. Consistent dental check-ups help catch problems when they are small and easier to treat. Left unattended, small treatable problems become worse and may require more extensive, expensive procedures to repair. Dental examinations generally include the following:
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Gum disease screening.
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Oral cancer screening.
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Visual tooth decay evaluation.
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Gum pocket measurement and tracking.
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X-ray examination to detect: tooth decay, cysts, tumors, problems below the gums and other hidden issues. |
What does a routine dental exam entail?
A normal dental exam may or may not start with having an X-ray taken of your mouth. We typically only take one X-ray of your mouth per year, so if you are following the normal bi-annual visit schedule, we will take your X-ray every other visit.
Here at A Smiling Heart Dentistry we use a digital X-ray machine. These machines are very special because they expose you to one fifth the amount of radiation that a normal X-ray device would expose you to. Further they skip the lengthy developing process in favor of immediate results. With a digital X-ray we know right away whether they turned out well or need to be re-taken. We can share them with you almost instantaneously on a monitor, in high definition.
Once the X-ray is finished we will move on to the cleaning. When you clean your teeth every day, you do your best, we know that. Invariably you will miss certain areas of your mouth due to crevices and hard-to-reach areas. With a professional dental cleaning from A Smiling Heart Dentistry we give you what is impossible to achieve with at-home cleanings – a clean slate.
We clean every surface of your teeth, making certain to look in those hard-to-reach areas. We will remove plaque and tartar that cause tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath. Most importantly we will make you aware of places in your mouth that could use extra attention during your everyday routine.
Dental Examination
Once the cleaning is through we will be able to start the examination. Your doctor will conduct your examination. During the exam your doctor will look for signs of decay and cavities on your teeth. A careful examination of the X-ray will be made. Your doctor will check for signs of chipping or cracking on your teeth.
Chipping and cracking can be a sign of clenching or grinding your teeth. Many people don’t even realize they are grinding their teeth because they do it at night while they are sleeping. Nocturnal tooth grinding can lead to erosion of enamel, as well as chipping and cracking of the teeth. It can even change the way your bite fits together. Fortunately, we can fit you for a mouth guard to be worn at night.
We will educate you on the findings of our examination and let you know what you can do differently to improve your normal routine. At A Smiling Heart Dentistry, we care about your oral health and will go above and beyond to ensure you get the best dental treatment available.
Call us at (425) 558-9998 today to schedule your routine cleaning and examination. |