What happens at the dental check-up?

The following oral health care activities usually take place at the typical dental  check-up visit:

Oral examination: Your dentist will want to have a general look around the skin  of your mouth (technically, ‘the mucosa’). This should be a purely visual check up to make sure everything is healthy.

·         Your mouth is  like a small cave, and  to peer into it furthest recesses the dentist will use light. The dentist may be able to do a visual check using a small  mirror. He will then conduct an initial oral  examination of your gums and teeth. He will document any changes in your overall health and medicine use. He will clean  and polish your teeth, talk to you about  how to take care  of your teeth and gums, and  answer any questions you might ask. Your dentist will also conduct an oral exam of your mouth for any signs of oral cancer or other diseases, gums, and teeth and diagnose and oral health problems, He will ask about changes in your overall health or medicine use. The dentist may be able to do a visual check using a small mirror.

·         Cleaning: Although tooth brushing  and flossing help in removing plaque, only a professional cleaning  provided by your dentist  can thoroughly  clean your teeth  and remove  the hardened plaque (called calculus or tartar) that  builds up on your teeth. Most dentists use a series of metal  hand instruments to clean your teeth. Some are using ultrasonic scalars, which provide deep  cleaning above and below the gum line.

·         Polishing: After your teeth have been cleaned, they are polished to remove plaque and stains from the tooth surface. The polish contains an abrasive substance and fluoride, and is applied using a small rotating rubber  cup or brush attached to the dental hand piece.

·         Prevention: Your dentist  might offer  additional instructions  for you to follow at home, based on the results of your  exam. Do not hesitate to ask  your dentist  for instructions about brushing or flossing, or questions  about general  care of your teeth and gums.

·         X-rays: X-rays might or might not be taken during your check up. Your dentist will consider your  clinical examination, dental history, and risk for developing cavities in determining the need for X-rays.

Treatment recommendations: If any oral health  problems  are identified during your  examination, your dentist will make  recommendations for the best next steps, i.e. treatment. These might include referral to another oral  healthcare  specialist, additional diagnostic tests, or advice to return for restoration work or additional oral healthcare

Dental Check up

How often should one go to the dentist ?

The standard recommendation  is to  visit your dentist  twice  a year for check-ups and cleanings. This  frequency  level must be okay  with most people, although some people  with peculiar  problems might need to visit the dentist more  frequently  for optimal oral care. These  peculiar conditions include gum disease, a genetic predisposition for plaque build-up  or cavities, or a weakened immune system that call for increased frequency of visits.

Also, keep in mind  that certain events  in life, particularly those that cause  stress or illness, might  cause changes in our mouth. Likewise, the development of an infection might call for more frequent  visits to the  dentist necessary. People  who have taken great  care of their teeth and gums, and have for  years felt no problems whatsoever might choose  to have longer intervals between visits. It would be desirable to ask your dentist what  visiting schedule  works best for your state of dental health.

The main reasons that strongly  support the 6-monthly dental visit  schedule are:

·               It enables  your dentist to check for  any problems  that you might not  see or feel.

·               It allows your dentist to find early signs of tooth decay (decay does’t  become visible or cause pain until it reaches more advanced stages)

·               It facilitates  treatment  of any other oral health problems  encountered  (generally, earlier a problem is detected, the more  manageable it is)

What are the causes of Gingival recession

There are a variety of causes for gingival recession. They are usually the result of some underlying disease such as periodontal disease or gingivitis. First, Faulty or aggressive brushing  techniques may result in receding gums. Over aggressive brushing  can wear away  the enamel of the gum line resulting  in gum loss. Second, inadequate brushing  and flossing can cause the gums to recede due to  the bacteria  remaining between the teeth. The bacteria  eventually eat away at the bone. Third,  periodontal disease,  inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth, can be a cause  of receding gums. Fourth,  chronic use of snuff or dipping tobacco  between the lips and the teeth has been known to cause receding gums as does smoking. This  affects the mucus membrane lining  in one’s mouth and will cause receding gums over  time. Sixth, misaligned teeth may also be a cause  of tooth loss. Lastly,  receding gums  may also be a result of grinding of teeth. Oral  jewellery has  recently been linked to receding gums. Sometimes, gingival recession is not the fault of the mouth  simply predisposes someone to gingival recession, as for example  when the muscles of the mouth are thick  at their attachment point to the  gums, or when teeth fall to develop enough  to support a thick padding of gums. Orthodontic work such as braces can also sometimes cause gingival  recession, typically because the patient was predisposed to it already.

If the gum recession is caused by gingivitis, the following symptoms may also be present.

·               Puffy, red or swollen gums

·               Gum bleeding while brushing or flossing

          Bad breath

What are the symptoms of Gum recession

Gum recession doesn’t happen overnight and in the vast majority of cases the recession will happen progressively over a period of  years. It’s highly common in adults and because we get used to the appearance of gums and we tend not to notice minimal  changes in them. In many cases the recession of gums goes unnoticed until the condition causes other problems or someone  else points it out to us. There are a number of common symptoms which may indicate gum recession:

·               Teeth appear longer than normal.

·               Toots of teeth are exposed and visible.

·               Teeth feel notched at the gum line.

·               Change in tooth  colour.

·               Increased sensitivity  to hot or cold.

·               Spaces between teeth seem larger.

·               Cavities occurring below the gum line.

In some cases gum recession can be caused by gingivitis and may be accompanied by red, swollen or generally inflamed gums, gums that bleed after brushing and halitosis.