Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
A dental check-up is an examination that causes an unpleasant squeezing of the stomach in most people. The sound of the drill makes your lips tighten and you do not want to return to the office from which the characteristic smell is emanating? Forget about it! These ideas are myths based on memories of visits to the dentist from childhood. Find out what a periodic dental check-up looks like now and why it can save your life.
Dental check-up – what to remember?
You do not need to convince anyone that a regular visit to the dentist is the basis of healthy teeth. If the doctor notices your cavities in time, he will be able to heal them quickly and thus save you a long and often painful treatment. However, avoiding such a problem is possible only when we remember about regular dental check-up. During the dental check-up, the dentist does not take any action, only checks the condition of the teeth and, if necessary, takes an X-ray or panoramic image.
When making an appointment for a dental check-up, find out how long it will last and whether it will involve any costs. Before you settle down comfortably in the dental chair, try to take care of oral hygiene. On this day, take a toothbrush and toothpaste with you. Before starting the visit, brush your teeth thoroughly, you can also use a mouth freshener or chewing gum to get rid of the smell, e.g. of a previously eaten meal. If you are afraid of visiting a dentist, ask yourself: What are you more afraid of, a visit to the office or a toothache?
What does the dental check-up look like?
At the beginning of your visit, your dentist may want to know what medications you are taking and what diseases you are suffering from (medical history). Conditions such as Diabetes mellitus, hypertension and thrombosis are the most common conditions that can affect the health of your teeth and gums and the way they are treated. Then the dentist will first check the teeth, fillings, cavities and the mucosa of the entire mouth (this way also checks for neoplastic changes!). After examining the entire oral cavity, the dentist can determine if you are waiting for further appointments and if so, how many of them will be (approximately of course).
Almost always, during a dental check-up, a specialist performs a complete tooth cleaning procedure. Using appropriate instruments, it removes tartar, plaque and plaque (bacterial) from places below the gum line. Thanks to this, it eliminates the potential cause of painful diseases of the gums, teeth or unpleasant smell from the mouth. This treatment is painless.
What about this tooth decay?
Caries is a very serious disease! It can effectively destroy teeth and even lead to the formation of an abscess around the tips of their roots. Not to mention the pain these diseases are associated with. Therefore, during the dental examination, the doctor uses a metal probe to look for caries. It may be used to lightly tap the tooth in an attempt to find foci of pathological softening of the teeth or to find out their hypersensitivity. You may experience slight discomfort or pain at this stage of the test. If you experience these feelings, report it to your dentist.
Panoramic photo
Considering your age, risk factors for dental and gum disease, and your ailments, your dentist may recommend radiological examination (X-ray). It will allow to detect changes that are invisible during examination and examination with a probe, e.g. caries on the contact surfaces of the teeth, abscesses, cysts, tumors, impacted teeth and damage to the jaw or mandible. Put on a protective lead apron before starting the test. If you are or suspect that you may be pregnant, be sure to inform your dentist. In this case, the X-ray examination may be postponed to another date.
One of the varieties of dental x-ray examination is the so-called pantomogram i.e. a panoramic photo. It allows you to see the jaw and mandible at the same time. This test involves exposure to a small amount of radiation which should not worry you.
How often do you have a dental check-up?
The child’s first visit to the dentist should take place after the appearance of the first tooth or by the end of the first year of life at the latest (according to the American Society of Pediatric Dentistry). Adults should visit their dentist every six months. However, if you smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol, have diabetes, are pregnant, your dentist may recommend more frequent visits because you are at an increased risk of dental and gum disease.
Oral prophylaxis during pregnancy
Ideally, a woman should take care of the condition of her mouth before becoming pregnant. During pregnancy, the use of some anesthetics is very limited. Doctors recommend that in the first trimester of pregnancy, you should avoid any dental procedures, and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers or anesthetics may cause damage or malformations to the fetus. The birth may be delayed, or even the baby’s heart function may be disturbed. Also, the stress associated with visiting the dentist can negatively affect a child’s development.
The second trimester of pregnancy is safer for dental procedures. This period is considered by some doctors to be the safest for a child, and pregnancy symptoms are much smaller than at the beginning of pregnancy. On the other hand, in the third trimester of pregnancy, a woman may have a problem with sitting comfortably in the dentist’s chair and staying in one position for a long time. When it comes to teeth whitening or other cosmetic procedures, they should only be performed after the baby is born.
Important! Women planning a pregnancy should consider an earlier dental check-up.
Before a planned pregnancy you should:
- remove caries and fill cavities,
- remove plaque,
- perform tooth extractions (if necessary),
- implement measures to prevent the appearance of gum diseases and caries.
Fear has great… teeth!
Regular visits to the dentist are, in addition to brushing your teeth and flossing, the best way to keep your teeth and gums in good shape. And more importantly, avoiding the toothache that everyone is really afraid of!
Text: lek.med. Matylda Mazur