General Check-Ups/Scale and Clean
During a general dental check-up, your local dentist has the opportunity to inspect the inside of your mouth for any health concerns related to the teeth, gums and other tissues contained within. A general check-up is recommended every 6 or 12 months depending on the prevalence of any existing oral health conditions. General check-ups are important not only because they fulfill a restorative function, but also as a preventative measure. Oral health is connected to general health too, so investing in a regular dental check-up is a useful way to prevent serious health conditions developing.
What Does A Dentist Check For During A Check-Up?
During a general check-up your dentist will check for both visible and invisible problems. Visible problems like plaque and food build-up will be treated with a scale and clean while invisible problems like cavities, periodontal disease and oral cancer will be identified by other signals your dentist can recognise.
What Is A Scale and Clean?
A scale and clean is a technique used to remove plaque and other buildup from hard-to-reach areas behind the teeth. Specialist dentist tools are used to scrape away this buildup and a rinse is used to wash out the patient’s mouth afterwards; leaving teeth clean and shiny.
How Long Does A General Check-Up Take?
General check-ups take between 30 and 45 minutes depending on the condition of the patient’s oral health. The dentist will look for signs of the following during this time:
- Early signs of dental cavities
- Broken, decayed or missing teeth
- Gum disease
- Evaluating and maintaining previous dental work such as root canals, fillings and crowns
- Suspicious cysts
- Indications of mouth or throat cancer
- Signs of bruxism (teeth grinding)
- Hints of inflammation or bleeding on your tongue or the upper and lower portion of your mouth
- General health of your jaws and inspection of signs of problems causing pain or tenderness
It helps if you can provide a history of your oral health to your dentist, especially if it is your first time visiting Campsie Laser Dental. This allows the dentist to evaluate the condition of your oral health against a benchmark which may help in prescribing additional treatments where needed.
Following the check-up, your dentist will provide a summary of findings which may include recommendations for further treatment. If the condition of a patient’s oral health is good then another check-up will be recommended in 12 months. If there are high-risk factors such as pregnancy, smoking, diabetes, gum disease, weak immune responses to bacterial infections or high proclivity towards cavities then another checkup may be recommended in six months.
Where Can I Get A General Dental Checkup?
Contact the dental professionals at Campsie Laser Dental today to schedule an appointment for a general check-up and scale and clean. We have a good reputation in our local community and have been performing general check-ups and scale and cleans since our clinic opened. If you wish to have your oral health evaluated, call our clinic on 02 9789 6219 and we can refer you to diagnosis and treatment.