Display a Glowing Smile This Valentine with Dental Exam and Cleaning
Your teenage kid could be looking forward to Valentine’s day arriving in under a month. They may want to show off their glowing smile displaying beautiful teeth without plaque and tartar buildup on them. Why let your child experience disappointment because they don’t have entirely white teeth? Why not take them for a regular dental check-up to get their teeth cleaned before Valentine’s Day?
The question about visiting dentists to get your child’s teeth cleaned during a dental check-up may bring questions in your mind does dental exam include cleaning as well? You don’t have to fear whether a regular dental check-up includes exams and cleanings or is merely one of the two procedures. Dentists perform exams and cleanings simultaneously to ensure your kid has a glowing smile for his or her Valentine arriving soon.
What Happens During Dental Exams and Cleanings
The dental exam begins with a comprehensive physical evaluation of your child’s mouth by the pediatric dentist in Greenwood, SC, to determine whether your child has any abnormal growths in the mouth that need further attention. If any significant problems are detected, the dentist provides information on how to deal with them appropriately. After completing the dental exam, the dentist allows the dental hygienist to take over the cleaning process.
Dr. John Patangan, the pediatric dentist, discusses dental hygiene tips and nutritional habits with your child to ensure they follow appropriate practices to maintain their dental health in optimal condition.
The Dental Cleaning Process
The dental hygienist manages the dental cleaning process using a small mirror to check around your child’s teeth and gums, looking for signs of inflamed gums or other potential concerns. The hygienist continues to use the small mirror for guidance along with a scaler to remove plaque and tartar buildup around the gum line and even between the teeth. Your child will hear scraping sounds if they have excessive tartar buildup in the mouth.
The buildup of tartar indicates the child is not maintaining proper oral hygiene because brushing and flossing can prevent plaque buildup from hardening into the tartar. After hardening, only a dental hygienist can only remove tartar during a dental cleaning process.
The dental hygienist begins publishing your child’s teeth using an electric toothbrush and gritty toothpaste, making a grinding noise. The sounds may scare the teenager, but it is an excellent way of getting a deep clean to remove any leftover tartar remaining behind from the scaler.
After polishing the teeth, the hygienist provides a professional flossing lesson to teach your teenager how to get deep between their teeth to locate food particles and plaque trapped between them. Simultaneously they also look for trouble spots between the teeth where the teenager may bleed from the gums.
After the flossing lesson, your teenager is asked to rinse their mouth to remove any debris remaining.
The last step of the cleaning process is fluoride treatment as a protective measure to battle against cavities for several months.
Are Dental Exams and Cleanings Scary?
Many people fear dental exams and cleanings because of the prodding, strange noises, and jaw discomfort. However, the procedure is essential at least twice a year for everyone, including children and the elderly. Dental exams and cleanings allow kids first dental Greenwood to identify problems in the child’s mouth early when any treatment provided delivers optimal outcomes.
If your children are preparing themselves for Valentine’s Day, they may not want to display ungainly appearing teeth with stains or cavities on them. Dentists may recommend molar sealants on the teenager’s teeth as an additional barrier against cavities. The teenager may experience a sore jaw after the procedure, but the discomfort subsides within a day without needing any medications to alleviate the pain.
Pediatric dentists recommend children avoid sugary and starchy foods, prime culprits resulting in tooth decay and cavities. Most children in America are affected by cavities before they reach elementary school. Children who are not aware of why they develop cavities receive pertinent information from the pediatric dentist on how to prevent or avoid them by brushing twice a day for two minutes each with fluoride toothpaste, flossing once daily or after every meal, and visiting dental offices for cleanings and exams every six months.
Suppose your teenager is undergoing dental exams and cleanings for Valentine’s Day. In that case, you may educate the teenager to make it a habit every six months to ensure they enjoy excellent oral health throughout their lives.