Finding Dental Issues Before They Become Problems
More Than Just a Cleaning
Regularly scheduled dental cleaning involves more than plaque-removal scaling and polish. During a dental checkup, your dentist and hygienist will carefully examine your teeth and soft tissues for any potential issues or signs of early problems. Catching minor problems early on through these professional cleanings can halt the progression toward complex, painful, and costly outcomes.
Detecting Decay
Dentists have several techniques for finding cavities in their earliest stages when they are still small, painless, and simple to fill. Visual inspection under magnification and targeted probing allows feeling for tiny areas of softened enamel not visible to the naked eye. Imaging also helps reveal sites of demineralization deep in the crevices between back teeth. Your hygienist or dentist will point out any suspicious lesions to get filled as soon as possible before the decay spreads, requiring root canals or crowns down the road. Catching developing cavities now prevents more significant issues later!
Assessing Gum Health
Gingivitis and periodontal disease don’t usually have obvious symptoms until the late stages when treatment becomes more difficult. However, early warning signs generally detectable during a comprehensive evaluation of your routine cleaning include:
- Subtle gum swelling.
- Small deposits under the gum margins.
- Slight irritation spots that bleed easily.
Early gum infection can be treated effectively by implementing a rigorous oral hygiene routine, undergoing professional dental cleanings, and possibly deep scaling and root planing procedures, depending on the severity of the infection.
Screening for Oral Cancer
Unfortunately, over 50% of oral cancer cases are not identified until the later stages when the prognosis is poor. Your dentist carefully examines all soft tissues of the mouth for any color changes, sores, lesions, or growths during your checkup since early detection dramatically improves survival rates.
Regular dental checkups and cleanings allow dentists to detect potential issues before symptoms occur. Don’t wait until you have dental problems. Please keep up with regular visits to prevent serious issues by contacting Blue Quill Dental Centre today.