Everything you need to know about a dental check-up

For those who’ve somehow managed to avoid the dentist for a number of years, for whatever reason, the thought of heading back for a dental check-up can seem daunting. Gathering all the facts regarding a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable however can often make you feel more in control. It’s for this reason that we’re going to tell you exactly what to expect when you attend a dental check-up appointment right from the medical questionnaire to x-rays.

The very first exam appointment will usually be made over the phone although these days, there are a great number of people that now make appointments with their dentist via email too. Any initial queries you may have will usually be …show more content…
It shines its light allowing the dentist to know where there are any areas of decay in the tooth. The use of this device also means that you may not have to poke around at your teeth at all although they may need to be cleaned in order to remove debris that would prevent the device from working correctly.

Intra-oral camera – you may be lucky enough to visit a dentist that has a small handheld camera with which they can take very close up pictures of your teeth. This allows them to display the images on a large screen in order to explain certain areas of your dental check-up more thoroughly by looking at what actually happens in your …show more content…
These are taken by you biting on a small tab, which keeps the x-ray film in your mouth steady while the x-ray beam is put into position. The actual beam looks very similar to a telescope and is usually attached to the end of a mechanical arm. This allows it to be adjusted to the correct position in order to capture the best picture. Newer, more advanced digital x-rays are possible and will now pop up on a computer screen which is far quicker than any x-ray picture would take to develop, however when using this type of x-ray device, the film tends to be a little bulkier although the radiation dosage is much lower than routine dental x-rays. There are machines available that can take x-rays of all of your teeth at once, which involves you, sitting or standing very still while the machine rotates your entire head. The picture it provides can be extremely useful as an overview, however it’s now substitute for the smaller, close up films. In the US there are some dental offices that take a full mouth series of x-rays that consist of bitewing films and 14 periodical films that show the tips of roots and supporting bone. This usually isn’t carried out in the