Regular Check-Ups With Your Ponte Vedra Dentist
Keeping our patients’ teeth healthy is our number one concern here at the practice of Ronald W. Howland, and the best method we have of accomplishing that is through our regular dental exams and teeth cleanings. While you may be doing an excellent job with your daily oral hygiene regimen, visiting your Ponte Vedra general dentistry practice for a dental exam and cleaning is critical if you want to maintain an optimal level of oral health. We’d like to take the time to go over the importance of these procedures and what they entail.
Dental Exams
If you’re new to visiting our general dentistry practice, we’ll first start things off by getting acquainted with you and making you feel comfortable in our Ponte Vedra dental office. We’ll go over your medical history and during this time, you can feel free to let us know of any worries that you may have about your oral health or our general dentistry procedures. We’ll be glad to take all the time you need to discuss things with you.
The dental exam will start with your dentist, Dr. Ronald W. Howland, examining your teeth, gums, and mouth. During this dental exam, he may use X-rays to help find underlying dental or oral problems that may need to be taken care of immediately or in the future. This comprehensive dental exam is a simple and no-risk way to learn the complete status of your oral health. After this exam is completed, you’ll then undergo a teeth cleaning.
Teeth Cleanings
The next step during your visit to our Ponte Vedra dentist is to get your teeth professionally cleaned. Even if you’re doing a terrific job with brushing and flossing your teeth, you won’t be able to remove as much bacteria from your teeth as dental hygienists will be able to with a professional teeth cleaning. These teeth cleanings are especially great at removing stains from your teeth and expelling bacteria from hard-to-reach places, allowing your gum tissues to become much healthier.
Your dentist or dental hygienist will start off by using an ultrasonic scaler to remove any plaque, debris, and calculus that’s on your teeth or around your gum line. A hand scaler can also be used to help in this task as well. After this is finished, a dental assistant or a hygienist will then polish your teeth using a special paste.
If you have gum disease, your dentist may recommend a procedure that’s known as scaling. This procedure is essentially a form of deep cleaning where bacteria is removed from beneath the gum line in order to keep the gums healthy and free of inflammation. Gum disease is relatively common in adults and when it’s left untreated, bone loss and even tooth loss can occur.
After You’re Finished
After the dental exam and teeth cleaning have been finished, your dentist will have a discussion with you about your oral health and the dental treatment plan that’s been decided on for you. This plan is always designed for your best interests and to make sure any small dental issues won’t grow worse – and also more expensive to take care of. During this time, we always encourage our patients to let us know if they have any questions or concerns. Our team at the practice of Ronald W. Howland is dedicated to making sure that you feel fully comfortable with the entire dental process.
Contact Your Ponte Vedra Dentist Today!
If you’d like to know more about our dental exams or any of our other general dentistry procedures, please don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with your Ponte Vedra dentist, feel free to give us a call at (904) 273-0700. We can’t wait to hear from you!