Your semi-annual dental exam with Dr. Louis Olberding, dentist in Lincoln, NE, keeps teeth strong and gums healthy. Comfortable and comprehensive, this preventive dentistry service stops decay and gum disease and spots problems before they get out of hand.
Why Get a Dental Exam?
Dental examinations and hygienic cleanings are commonplace, aren’t they? Or, are they really? The American Dental Association estimates that nearly 100 million people in the US fail to see a dentist regularly, opting instead for emergency care only or no dental treatments at all.
Lincoln dentist, Dr. Louis Olberding, regrets this statistic and urges his patients to see him for exams and cleanings every 6 months. Why should dental care be so frequent? It’s because oral health problems, such as tooth decay and gum disease, are largely preventable when people combine brushing and flossing at home with check-ups and cleanings at Olberding Dental.
If you believe preventive dentistry can help you maintain your healthy smile, then learn here about what happens during a routine office visit. You’ll be surprised at how detailed it is and how much information Dr. Olberding gathers from it.
What Happens During a Dental Exam
First, the dental hygienist cleans and polishes your teeth to remove harmful plaque and tartar from tooth surfaces, interdental spaces and at the gum line. She counts your teeth and measures gum pockets, the spaces between gum tissue and teeth. This measure indicates how healthy your gums are and if periodontal problems are developing. She also takes digital x-rays as needed, notes any changes in your health history and asks about any concerns you have.
Then, Dr. Olberding examines your teeth, gums and other oral tissues by visual inspection. He notes how many teeth you have, how well they are aligned they are and the condition of your existing dental fillings, crowns, and other dental work. He looks for tooth decay and gum disease.
He also checks how well your jaw works (TMJ assessment) and if your teeth are worn or cracked due to teeth grinding, or bruxism. Finally, he does a quick and painless oral cancer assessment, looking at the gums, soft palate, cheeks and tongue, He also gently feels the lymph nodes in the neck. The Oral Cancer Foundation says that this simple screening, as part of each routine dental visit, saves lives because it finds lesions at their earliest stages when they are most treatable and curable.
To review his findings, Dr. Olberding writes a treatment plan and informs the patient of:
- Areas of concern
- Possible treatments–both restorative and cosmetic
- The schedule for future dental visits
Even though a patient may receive a “clean bill of health,” Dr. Olberding takes the opportunity to teach about oral hygiene practices and things to watch for depending on the patient’s stage of life. He always recommends a healthy, low-sugar diet, twice daily brushing and flossing, and of course, smoking cessation. Often, he advises plastic dental sealants to protect back teeth from decay and/or fluoride treatments to reduce sensitivity and strengthen tooth enamel.
When is Your Next Appointment?
Please schedule your next dental examination and hygienic cleaning. Contact Olberding Dental today to speak to a friendly staff member. Remember, this ordinary exam produces extraordinary smiles.