Hello! I’m Dr. Galindo here at Tallahassee Dental Specialists lately we have been receiving a lot of questions about Dental Exams, so let’s answer those questions!
What is the difference between a dental exam and a cleaning?
At a dental exam, we’re going to be evaluating all the tissues in the mouth – soft tissues and hard tissues: the gum tissue, the tongue, muscles, and we’re also going to be taking a look at the teeth. Teeth can have cavities, that’s one thing, but we also see wear patterns. We can tell if a tooth is getting too much stress, any looseness to the teeth, so we’re going to be taking a look at multiple issues, trying to diagnose and get a treatment plan ready.
When we’re doing a cleaning, basically we’re doing some periodontal treatment. We’re removing plaque, removing calculus that’s irritating the gum tissue. That way, we’re trying to maintain healthy gums.
How long does a full dental exam take?
A full dental exam with us takes about one hour. We’re going to be getting you in, taking a full set of x-rays, a CBCT scan and going over clinical findings, establishing a personalized treatment plan.
How often should you have a dental exam and cleaning?
We are doing periodic exams once per year. After you main evaluation, we’ll get you in, see whatever treatment is necessary, be it cleanings, fillings, or crowns, and then once per year we will be re-evaluating to see if anything has changed. Your cleanings – if you have good oral hygiene, we’ll be seeing you around every six months. If you require more, we’re going top be establishing that from our dental exam. It could be that we set you up for a three-month cleanings, four-month cleanings, that means three or four times per year.
How can a dentist tell if I have cavities?
Most of the time we can tell if you have cavities by direct vision in our clinical exam. Some cavities can be hidden, and that’s where x-rays help us detect them!
How will a dentist know if I need a root canal?
Sometimes we can tell if you’re going to need a root canal just by looking at the x-rays or looking directly at the teeth. Sometimes we have a good idea of where that cavity is in relation to the nerve. Other times, we need to clean up the tooth and establish if it is deep enough where we will need a root canal or not.
Are dental exams painful?
Dental exams are not painful. You’re going to be going through a thorough evaluation where we are looking at the tissue, but it should not create any discomfort.
Is there anything I should do to prepare for a dental exam?
When coming in for your dental exam, you can help us out by having any information about your last cleaning, last dental procedures, any dental implant information you may have – any information that you can bring in to your exam is going to help us out to establish a better exam and a better treatment plan.
I hope I have answered your questions today about dental exams. If you have any other questions or are ready to schedule your appointment, please reach out to us at (850) 629-5959!