What To Expect if You Haven’t Visited your Dentist in Years

Daily brushing and flossing are the primary dental care for excellent oral health. However, you should still see your dentist every six months, regardless of your oral health. If you feel healthy, visiting your dentist is vital to clean your mouth and reduce the risk of oral conditions. Routine dental visits allow for early detection and treatment of oral conditions.

If you haven’t had a dental check-up or cleaning in years, your risk of developing oral problems is higher than those with routine exams. It’s never too late to make your oral health a priority. Start by scheduling an appointment with our dentist in Randolph, MA. Below, learn what to expect during your appointment.

Signs you Need to Visit the Dentist

Even if you don’t have a dental problem, you should see the dentist every six months. Similarly, you can visit the dentist if you have symptoms that can indicate oral issues, such as:

• Gum disease. Gum or periodontal disease is the inflammation of your gum tissues. You could have gum disease if you have symptoms like gum swelling, sensitivity, bleeding, and soreness. Advanced gum disease can cause receding gums, loose teeth, weakened jawbone, and tooth loss. Treatment can include professional cleaning, scaling and root planing, flap surgery, and soft tissue grafts.
• Tooth decay and cavities. Cavities are small holes in the tooth. Tooth decay happens when the tooth’s pulp containing blood vessels and nerves get infected. Signs of decay and cavities include persistent tooth pain, gum swelling near a painful tooth, sensitivity, bad breath, and tooth abscess. Treatments can include dental fillings, root canals, and dental crowns.
• Oral cancer. Oral or mouth cancer can affect different parts of your oral cavity, including the lips, throat, tongue, cheeks, and palate.
• Dental trauma. Your teeth can chip, crack, or break when chewing hard food or during sports accidents. It’s essential to repair dental damage to prevent long-term damage like tooth loss, decay, and jawbone damage. Treatments for dental trauma can include dental fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures, veneers, and dental implants.

What to Expect During your Dental Appointment

If you have dental anxiety like most people, the dentist can use sedation to keep you relaxed and comfortable. Also, be sure to wear comfortably and avoid tight clothing. Typically, here is what to expect:

• Medical review

The dentist will begin by evaluating your medical history. Be sure to tell your dentist if you have any oral problems, allergies, underlying conditions like diabetes, a history of oral diseases, and existing medications.

• Comprehensive oral exam

Next, the dentist will carefully inspect your teeth, gums, lips, palate, tongue, throat, and mouth for gum disease, dental damage, cavities, oral cancer, and other conditions. The dentist can look for symptoms like tooth damage, unhealthy gums, weakened jawbone, poor bite, and abnormal tissues.

Since you haven’t had a dental exam recently, the dentist will recommend X-rays to inspect the condition of your teeth and jawbone and ensure there aren’t underlying problems hidden from the naked eye.

• Professional cleaning

Since you haven’t had a dental cleaning recently, you probably have a significant amount of bacterial plaque and tartar in your mouth. These deposits will eventually cause gum disease and tooth decay if not eliminated.

During the exam, your dentist or hygienist will scrub off tartar and plaque from your mouth, brush and polish your teeth, floss them, and rinse your mouth. If necessary, the dentist can recommend additional preventive care like dental sealants and fluoride treatments. You can also have teeth whitening if your teeth are significantly stained.

• Discussing results

After the exam and cleaning, the dentist will discuss the results. If necessary, they can schedule you for additional exams or treatment or refer you to a specialist.

The dentist can also educate you about proper oral habits to care for your mouth and reduce the risk of oral problems. Before leaving, schedule your next follow-up appointment in six months.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Ready to schedule your next dental assessment? Or perhaps you need general dentistry in Randolph, MA? Contact Randolph Dental Group to speak with our general dentist near you.