Our Chino CA Dentist Breaks Down the Dental Exam Process
If you have your teeth cleaned on a regular six-month basis, you also know that each visit comes with an exam by our Chino CA dentist. Sometimes this exam may be quick, other times it may seem to be taking a little bit longer than you're used to. “What the heck are they doing?” you may be asking yourself. You don't have to sit and wonder what's going on during your exams - check out these insights from our team at Bright Smile Dental Care to learn what's going on during this thorough process!
Checking X-Rays
If you have x-rays taken, we'll examine these thoroughly. What exactly is being looked for? Cavities, of course! More specifically, we know that cavities tend to pop up in predictable places on teeth. One of the most common places is between teeth, which is why x-rays are taken in the first place. When we're peering at the computer screen, we're looking carefully at the consistency of your tooth structure and trying to determine if there are any cavities present, or if there are any places where a cavity is likely in the future.
Checking for Oral Lesions
You may wonder why our Chino dentist pulls your lips and cheeks out wide and seems to be inspecting inside them. This is because we not only treat teeth—they are physicians of the entire mouth. When we examine your lip or cheeks, we're assessing the health of your tissue and looking for signs oral disease, including cancer.
Looking for Cavities
Aside from examining x-rays for the presence of cavities, we'll look directly at your teeth. The small, pointy instrument used to poke and examine your teeth is called an “explorer.” In many cases, dentists assess the health of the tooth structure by feel as much by sight. Areas of decay feel soft and sticky to the touch. By using the explorer to probe these areas, we'll determine as to whether or not certain areas require treatment.
There are other things that may happen, such as ask you to open and close while pressing against your jaw joint (assessing for TMJ) or to stick your tongue out and say “ah” (checking the tonsils). Rest assured that no matter how informal or mysterious the exam routine might be, it is vitally important to your dental health.
To schedule your next routine visit, call our Chino CA dentist today at (909) 364-1330 and our front desk will assist you in picking the best date and time for your appointment.
