Same Day Dental Cleanings

The Importance of Dental Cleanings

The two most important factors in maintaining lifelong dental health are routine preventive care visits to the dentist and a good oral hygiene routine at home. Our doctors help patients understand their unique oral health concerns and educates them on how to avoid complex problems with appropriate dental care. Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases affecting both children and adults today, and is often preventable with proper dental care.

Left untreated, tooth decay will lead to deteriorating oral health, which will impact your overall health and increase the risk or severity of cardiovascular and systemic disease. Our doctors will always recommend the most conservative treatment options, using high quality materials and advanced technology to maintain your smile with lasting results.

During routine visits, our doctors screen for common oral health concerns including periodontal disease, tooth decay and early signs of oral cancer or systemic disease. We use advanced digital diagnostics to spot developing problems in the earliest stages, allowing for prompt conservative treatment. Our diagnostic equipment and digital dental x-rays provide instant, high resolution imagery with no discomfort and minimal radiation exposure.

What To Expect During A Routine Dental Exam

If you have made dental checkups part of your routine, you already know the drill. But maybe it’s been a while since you last sat in the dental chair, so you’re wondering what you should expect. After all, things change.

However, a routine dental exam isn’t much different, although you might notice newer technology and an improvement in techniques and bedside manner. Whether your experience at the dentist’s office is positive or negative all comes down to the treatment provided by the staff. We can assure you that our staff at Bonney Lake goes the extra mile to make you feel as comfortable as possible.

Part of that comfort is knowing what to expect before you even walk into our office.

The First Step

The first step of any dental exam is to set up an appointment. Simply walking in a dental office and expecting to be seen right there and then is disrespectful and rude, not only to staff but also to patients who are waiting to be seen. To schedule an appointment with Dentistry at Bonney Lake, please call us at 253-236-7456 or visit our website today.

Preparing For Your Appointment

Now that you have set up an appointment to see us, it’s important that you prepare for your visit. Most visits begin with the patient filling out necessary forms while waiting in the waiting room. So, it might be more convenient for you to fill out these forms at home prior to the day of your exam. Also, please have your medical history and insurance information (if you have insurance) handy.

Going to see the dentist can be scary, especially if you have had a bad experience in the past. Preparing for your dental exam means fighting any fear you might have. We are here to help you get through it by answering any questions you may have and by making you comfortable.

 The Dental Exam Chair

Once you are in the chair, a dental hygienist will take a look at your teeth and report initial findings to the dentist. Part of this checkup can include a simple teeth cleaning using standard tools to scrape any plaque and tartar from your teeth and gumline. The dentist will come in and conduct a professional examination, which could result in x-rays and a dental impression.

X-rays are perfectly normal and safe for patients and will reveal underlying problems in the teeth and jaw.

Dental impressions are molds of your teeth made by pouring a gelatin-like substance into a tray that your teeth will fit inside. The tray will stay on your teeth for a few minutes until the gelatin sets, thus creating a casting of your teeth. The casting will become a perfect replica of your teeth that the dentist uses to make implants if you need them or for creating bleaching trays and mouthguards custom-made for your teeth. The dentist can also use the impression to evaluate your bite. Problems such as overbite, crossbite, and underbite can be fixed with braces or clear aligners.

In addition, the dentist will also screen your mouth to detect oral cancer and other potential health problems.

Prepare to answer medical history questions your dentist may ask during the exam, including what medications you are taking. Your answers will help the dentist determine what care is best for you.

Tools Of The Trade

When you enter the examination room, your eyes will likely immediately notice a small tray of tools that the dentist uses to examine and fix teeth. Most of these tools probably won’t bother you at all, but there are some you probably dread. This is absolutely normal.

The majority of these tools help the dentist clean and polish your teeth. However, needles and drills are the tools you likely hate the most, which is understandable.

The dentist uses the needle to numb an area of your mouth to prepare for work such as filling a cavity. You will feel a brief pinch inside your mouth and you will feel the numbness. The dentist then uses the drill to remove bad parts of a tooth to make way for a filling. You may feel discomfort including nerve pain, but your teeth will be all the better for it. We will do our best to make you feel the least amount of discomfort possible.

Education and Recommendations

The dentist will seek to educate you about proper dental care and will make recommendations based on the results of the dental exam. In the end, the best way for patients to take care of their teeth is to have the knowledge to do so at home. This could include a recommendation of specific products that might work for you such as toothpaste for sensitive teeth or a special mouthwash. The dentist might even recommend wearing a mouthguard at night if signs of teeth grinding are present.

If you have more complicated dental problems, the dentist might recommend seeing a specialist such as an orthodontist or oral surgeon. You should definitely take this advice to get the best care possible.

How Often Should I Schedule A Dental Exam?

Typically, you should have your teeth examined by your dentist at least every six months. Discovering and taking care of small problems now before they become worse and more costly problems later is best. Routine dental exams are the best preventative care you can practice for your teeth beyond having a daily dental care regimen. It’s also important that you show up for follow-up appointments after major dental work so the dentist can check the progress of your treatment or recovery.

Schedule A Dental Exam Today

Visiting the dentist is not the end of the world. It should be a positive experience that assists you in taking care of your teeth and overall oral health. Dentistry at Bonney Lake is ready to provide you with this important assistance. Please call our office to schedule an appointment. Your teeth will be glad you did.