Keeping your mouth happy and healthy requires more than just brushing and flossing every day. While these habits are essential, professional care is just as important. No matter how long it’s been since your last visit to the dentist, we invite you to come in for a dental exam and cleaning. A dental exam is more than just looking for cavities. Your teeth are part of a larger system that includes your bones and the soft tissues of your gums and inner mouth – each susceptible to disease. With professional care, we can help you to prevent serious oral health issues and provide treatment when issues arise. It is well established that good oral health has been linked to greater overall health and well-being. Walker & Krause Dental Team can help you to maintain optimal oral health with regular dental exams.
In our dental office, we use every technique available to determine the health of your entire mouth. Using digital radiography, intraoral cameras and other leading-edge technologies we’re able to see the inner condition of your teeth and bones and zoom in on any part of your mouth to see things that are invisible to the naked eye, and sometimes don’t even show up on x-rays. Then we check the entire lining of your mouth for evidence of oral cancers or other disease that may be present or developing.
We also spend time discussing concerns that relate to oral health, such as jaw pain, tooth misalignment, oral hygiene and cosmetic defects. We’ll make sure you know what options are available to improve or correct your condition. Our patients tell us they’ve never had an exam as thorough as ours. We wouldn’t do it any other way.
A dental examination is an inspection of your entire mouth. During your dental exam, we check the condition of your teeth, your gums, your intra-oral tissues, and the other areas of your mouth, checking for signs of different oral health issues. Our dentists are experienced in spotting the earliest warning signs of different types of oral health concerns, allowing you to get the treatment you need before they progress into something more serious. The American Dental Association recommends that you have your mouth examined every six months, and these exams are typically performed in the same appointment as your routine dental cleanings.
A dental exam is a simple, straightforward process. We begin by inspecting the visible structures within your mouth. Your teeth are looked over for chips, cracks, decay, cavities, and wear. We look over your gums, checking for signs of infection such as redness, swelling, recession, and the formation of periodontal pockets.
We also perform an oral cancer screening. This is a quick screening of your intra-oral tissues during which we check for abnormalities such as lesions or unusual growths. Oral cancer screenings are essential for the early detection and treatment of oral cancer.
We will also check your TMJ for problems, which can show up as clicking, popping, grinding, difficulty in opening or closing and pain.
In addition to a visual examination of your mouth, we also take X-rays. While these images may not be taken at every exam, they are still a crucial component. X-ray images allow us to see the areas between your teeth and below your gum line, places we cannot otherwise see. With X-rays, we can detect issues that might otherwise go unnoticed until they become more serious.
We can spot things about your dental health such as:
With a complete picture of your mouth, we can see its exact condition. Our dentists are also able to provide you with the treatments you need to restore your oral health before more serious issues develop later on.
After examining your mouth, we take the time to discuss with you. We go over issues we find and what your treatment options are. Our dental team will discuss things such as your brushing and flossing habits as well as lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking. We will also make sure to take the time to answer any questions and discuss your concerns so that you feel confident in the care you are receiving.
Routine dental examinations provide many benefits to our patients.
Regular dental exams are essential for detecting oral health issues in their earliest stages before you ever notice anything is wrong. This allows you to get the treatment you need right away to prevent serious consequences. If it’s time for your regular dental exam, or if it has been too long since your last one, the Walker & Krause Dental Team in Olympia are here to boost your oral health and help you obtain and maintain a bright, healthy smile.