{"id":55,"date":"2016-07-27T21:03:19","date_gmt":"2016-07-27T21:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olberdingdental.com\/?p=55"},"modified":"2016-07-27T21:03:19","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T21:03:19","slug":"lincoln-ne-dentist-dental-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olberdingdental.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/lincoln-ne-dentist-dental-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Your Lincoln, NE Dentist Do in a Dental Exam?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Your semi-annual dental exam with Dr<\/u><\/a>. <\/u><\/a>Louis<\/u><\/a> Olberding<\/u><\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Why Get a Dental Exam?<\/h3>\n

Dental examinations and hygienic cleanings are commonplace, aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

If you believe preventive dentistry can help you maintain your healthy smile, then learn here about what happens during a routine office visit. You\u2019ll be surprised at how detailed it is and how much information Dr. Olberding gathers from it.<\/p>\n

What Happens During a Dental Exam<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0 and the condition of your existing dental fillings, crowns, and other dental work.\u00a0 He looks for tooth decay and gum disease.<\/p>\n

He also checks how well your jaw works (TMJ\u00a0 assessment) and if your teeth are worn or cracked due to teeth grinding, or bruxism<\/u><\/a>.<\/u><\/a> 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

To review his findings, Dr. Olberding writes a treatment plan and informs the patient of:<\/p>\n