You want to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and having regular dental checkups with a Melbourne dentist is essential. Ideally, you want to schedule a routine checkup every six months, or sooner if your dentist recommends it.
What Happens During a Visit to a Melbourne Dentist?
There are two components to a regular dental checkup. First, your dentist will examine your teeth and gums before performing the teeth cleaning itself. They’re checking for good oral health and any decay, plaque, tartar or weak areas. Plaque is a sticky and transparent bacteria layer that will eventually harden to form tartar. Once tartar forms, you can’t remove it with traditional flossing and brushing, and it can lead to disease.
Next, your dentist will check your gums. They use a special tool to measure the spaces and depth between your teeth and gums. If you have healthy gums, these areas will be shallow. When gum disease develops, these spaces and depths become deeper. Your Melbourne dentist might also check your face, throat, tongue, neck and head to look for any redness or swelling.
A dental hygienist will clean your teeth. They’ll bring out special tools to remove any plaque or tartar by the gumline. They call this process scaling. When they finish, they’ll polish your teeth. Polishing your teeth involves a gritty paste that works to remove surface stains. The final step is to floss your teeth.
Keeping Your Teeth Healthy Between Visits to the Melbourne Dentist in the CBD
You want to take care of your mouth between your visits, and it starts with brushing and flossing regularly. Ideally, you want to:
- Use a fluoride toothpaste and brush twice a day.
- Consider using an electric toothbrush over a manual one
- Floss every day.
- Use mouthwash to help cut down on the bacteria and plaque in your mouth.
If you’re not sure what more you can do for your oral health between visits, ask your dentist. They can make recommendations on toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and more. Follow their suggested schedule and make an appointment as soon as you notice any problems.
Contact Holistic Dental in Melbourne’s CBD Today!
Do you need to schedule a routine checkup with a Melbourne dentist? Maybe you have questions or concerns about your teeth, and you’d like a professional’s opinion. Whatever the reason, you can reach out and get in touch with our staff to set up a consultation today!