Regular Dental Check-Ups Go Beyond Teeth Cleanings

A third of American adults do not see a dentist regularly, the biggest reasons being fear of bad news and of pain during the checkup. But without going twice a year to get an expert assessment of your oral health, minor irritations can become very serious threats. And Manhattan Dental Care Studio makes any visit a painless way to catch dental challenges early when they are easy and inexpensive to correct.

Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach dentists, Dr. G and Dr. Z. and their team have spent nearly four decades educating our patients on how to prevent cavities and periodontal disease (infection of the gums and jawbone).

If you are not certain exactly how to brush at the right angles for the proper time and to use floss so that any plaque is cleaned off before it can harden into tartar, ask your dental hygienist to demonstrate. Everyone needs to have a basic cleaning twice yearly with the special tools and techniques that go beyond what you can do at home. If your hygienist detects a spreading infection, your dentist will probe the depth of the gum pockets around teeth. He may advise a deeper cleaning that will remove bacteria below the gum line and flush them out with an antibacterial solution.

What are some other issues your dental team can address during a check-up?

• Advise whether fillings need to be replaced.
• Determine if your overall oral health would be improved by correcting crooked teeth with Invisalign aligner trays.
• Find out if you would have more confidence in your smile if your teeth were professionally whitened or chips and gaps covered by veneers.
• Note symptoms of dry mouth, the lack of an adequate amount of saliva, which can be a side-effect of many medications to treat depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, colds, obesity, hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, and other health issues. Dry mouth raises the risk for tooth decay and gum disease.
• Look for signs that you are grinding your teeth down while you sleep, so that a customized mouth guard can be created to wear at night.
• Check on whether you are suffering from TMJ aka TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder). Among many possible symptoms: a popping sound when you open and close your mouth wide; pain in the jaw joint, face, neck or shoulders; swelling on the side of your face; or an uncomfortable bite.
• Look for signs of oral cancer.

For other issues of oral health that can be checked during your regular visit, read WebMD’s discussion of everything from cold sores to chronic bad breath: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/oral-health-symptoms-types. Then schedule your dental check-up, whether you live in Torrance, Marina del Rey, South Bay, Redondo Beach, or elsewhere in the Los Angeles metro area.