Dental Exams
Seattle, WA
No one likes exams. We know that. The word exam gives many people a bad feeling. You may have nightmares about exams in high school or college. You may have taken exams for work as well. Exams are often enough to make some people run for their lives. However, if you think about it, exams can be good for you. They can even save your life. Not just your teeth and gums, but your life. If you aren’t sure how an exam can help save you and your teeth, give Queen Anne Family Dental a chance to explain why dental exams are so important.
Why Should I Get A Dental Exam?
We use dental exams to find and fix little problems in your mouth before they become big problems. Those big problems can hurt you and your mouth in the long run. A lot of dental problems start out small and get bigger and more dangerous the longer you don’t take care of them. One day, you may bite down on something on one of your back teeth and feel a jolt of pain. When you come to see us, if we find a large cavity, we will have to do a root canal and place a crown on your molar. Had we found the cavity early, we could have fixed it immediately, and saved you much pain. If cavities are left untreated, they eventually make a hole in your tooth pulp and infect it, which leads to a lot of pain and damage.
We also look for gum disease during a dental exam. For example, we might notice that your gums are red and painful during an exam. Red and painful gums are the first sign of gum disease, and it is treatable. However, when the infection settles in, you will begin to lose gum tissue to the infection. The infection can create pockets between your teeth and gums, which can lead to tooth loss and other issues. Infections from your teeth and gums can lead to worsening of diabetes, heart disease, and strokes. The sooner we can treat tooth decay and gum disease, the better.
 What Should I Expect During A Dental Exam?
When you come in to see us for a dental checkup, we will have a general look at your teeth and gums. We also look at the structures of your mouth, your face, and along your neck. We need to do that to look for signs of infection, as well as bumps or swollen areas. We will take x-rays of your mouth as well, to help us look for trouble.
After your teeth are cleaned, we will closely examine your mouth. We do this to check for signs of cancer, as well as to make sure that there is nothing else wrong with your teeth. All of our work is in order to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy. These healthy teeth and gums are going to help your overall health as well. If your mouth is healthy, you have a greater chance of a healthy body. If you are unhappy with the color of your teeth after cleaning, we offer professional teeth whitening services to enhance the appearance of your smile. If you have questions about having a dental exam, give Queen Anne Family Dental a call at (206) 424-4450. We love to talk to our patients about dental exams and help to ease their fears. Give us a call today!
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