Visiting Your Dentist
Keeping in contact with healthcare professionals is part of your overall health and well-being. Along with routine physicals come routine visits to the dentist. Luckily, Blok Studio, located at 101-123 Avenue B South, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, provides clients with with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with a highly professional team. Needless to say, you will be leaving with a smile. But that raises the question, why regular check-ups? To To answer this and other questions, we need to look at what happens during a routine check-up, and subsequently, what you need to do between checkups. Finally, we will share with you some facts about regular dental checkups.
What does your dental does your dental check up look like look like?
We have all been sitting in the chair, trying to talk, and simultaneously wondering how on earth the dental hygienist and dentist are able to understand the “words” that are coming out of our mouths. Every now and then you may feel a scrape or some suction, an opportunity to spit and rinse, and so on; but, what is actually happening? Firstly, your hygienist or dentist is examining your teeth. This is the part where they look for cavities and x-rays are often used to help provide more conclusive information.
The exam also involves checking for plaque and tartar. Plaque builds up on your teeth as a sticky layer of bacteria, which can then harden and turn into tartar, making it harder to be removed by your hygienist. During the check-up, this is also the phase where your teeth are scraped clean—bye-bye plaque and tartar!
In the next phase of the check-up your gums are examined. This may be the point during the examination that your hygienist asks, “how often do you floss?”. During this stage of the examination, your hygienist is also checking the depth of the spaces between your teeth and gums. Healthy gums have shallow pockets; unhealthy gums, deeper. Along with checking the health of your gums, hygienists also check for any underlying health conditions you may not be aware of.
The final stage in a dental check-up is cleaning. For many, cleaning is the best part: it’s where your teeth are scaled, polished, and made ready for your next photo, date, or another important occasion. Scaling is when the hygienist uses a hook-like tool to remove tartar, a procedure that cannot be performed at home, even with the best toothbrush. Next is the polish, where a gritty paste is applied to remove surface stains from your teeth. Finally, your dental hygienist will give you a good flossing, removing any lingering debris from those hard–to–reach areas.
How to maintain oral health after your dental check-up
If all goes well, you are out of the chair and on your way without any cavities or other issues. Still, it is important to know what you can do to care for your teeth between check ups. How often should you brush? What kind of toothpaste should you use? Should you use mouthwash? What about flossing?
We recommend We recommend that you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day and floss at least once a day. Brushing regularly is your best defense against tooth decay and gum disease. . For some helpful suggestions on brushing, enjoy this resource provided by the Canadian Dental Association.
Flossing, everyone’s favourite, is another important tool in your tooth care kit. Flossing is incredibly important because it helps protect your gums from plaque and bacteria. If bacteria is left between the teeth near the gums, it will eventually begin to irritate gum tissue. This can lead to Gingivitis, a periodontal disease responsible for red and puffy gums that are prone to bleeding. Furthermore, flossing helps protect the area between your teeth that is difficult, if not impossible, to reach with your brush. Bacteria between your teeth can harm enamel and lead to cavities.
When it comes to flossing, there are some quick tips we can share to help improve your practice. One, take a length of floss that is the same length as the distance from your hand to your shoulder. It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? However, once you wrap that around your index and middle fingers, you will find that you have a nice amount of floss left for clearing in between your teeth. Now that you have virtually covered yourself in floss, slide the floss between your teeth and wrap each tooth to form a “C” shape. Now, wipe the edges of your teeth from base to tip two or three times. Next, be sure to floss both sides of every tooth. The key here is being thorough. Finally, brush your teeth after you’ve flossed––his is an effective way to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
The truth is, brushing and flossing regularly is the best way you can care for your teeth and oral health between checkups. After you have brushed and flossed there’s one more thing you can do to help care for your smile— mouthwash. Mouthwash, or the rinse phase of your tooth care routine, helps to wash away anything you may have missed while moving through the previous two steps. When it comes to mouth wash, there are many different options, so it would be best to ask the professionals at Blok Dental Studio which mouthwash would be best for you.
Our 5 tips for good brushing.
For brushing, we have five very easy tips you can use to help keep your smile healthy.
- Brush your teeth at a 45 degree angle to your teeth.
This helps prevent causing damage to your teeth and gums. Your enamel protects your sensitive dentin and pulp layers, but it is susceptible to damage. Your gums are also sensitive to trauma, and repeated harm can cause them to recede, exposing them to damage. - Clean every surface of every tooth.
When cleaning your teeth, be gentle but also thorough. Brush in circles for a minimum of 2 minutes giving equal attention to each section of your mouth. - Change things up.
Brushing in different patterns helps prevent you from missing spots and makes brushing more fun for you and your family! Try engaging your kids in fun games to try to help them brush thoroughly and stay attentive. Brushing your teeth in the same way can lead to missing the same spots, and therefore, to a less superior clean. - Use a soft brush with rounded bristles.
With the right toothbrush, you will get a superior clean. Soft bristles gently wrap your teeth for a better clean and help prevent damage to your teeth and gums. - Don’t forget your tongue.
Your tongue carries all the same bacteria as your teeth and gums. Give your tongue a brush, utilize a tongue scraping tool, or use an antibacterial mouthwash to give your mouth a full cleaning.
Why do I need regular dental checkups?
As has been shown, dental check ups are an important part of your oral and overall health. In addition, it is also clear that lots can happen between check ups. The buildup of plaque, tartar, and bacteria alone are reasons to get your teeth checked regularly. With respect to overall health, seeing the staff at Blok Dental Studio twice a year is also a good way to ensure that there are not other, more serious oral health concerns occurring.
Another reason for regular, twice a year check ups, that is less commonly discussed, but still very important––routine checkups save patients a considerable amount of money in the long run. Decay and damage can lead to costly interventions such as extractions. These procedures are often not covered by insurance, so it is best to try to avoid these at all costs. By seeing your dental professionals at Blok Dental Studio regularly, you are working toward ensuring that your money can be saved and spent somewhere other than expensive dental procedures. https://drmichaelhandler.ca/blog/the-importance-of-regular-dental-checkups.
With Blok Dental, your dental hygiene is in good hands.
When you let too many days fall off the calendar between visiting the friendly faces at Blok Dental Studio, you can find yourself in the uncomfortable position of a toothache. That gnawing feeling, the one that makes you think, “I really need a dentist,” is avoidable with routine check ups. But here is the best part, the staff at Blok Dental Studio are kind, professional, and ready to greet you with their smiles while helping you with yours. So if it’s been awhile since your last check up, or even if it has just been the right amount of time, call Blok Dental Studio and get yourself and your pearly whites booked in.
