Dental Exams & Teeth Cleaning in Dalton

What Happens During a Dental Cleaning?

At your appointment, our dentists will clean your teeth by removing any plaque or tartar buildup on the surfaces. Next, we restore and maintain the shininess of your teeth with a professional polishing. If you’ve come in for cleaning as part of your routine dental exam, we’ll check your teeth for signs of cavities or gum disease. We’ll also perform an oral cancer check. If you are looking for a compassionate dentist in Dalton, please contact us today.

Why Should I Get Periodontal Treatment?

People over the age of 35 are more likely to lose teeth from periodontal disease than from tooth decay. Periodontal disease is also known as gum disease, and you can do your part to prevent it by practicing good oral hygiene at home and visiting a dentist on a regular basis.

Gum disease is caused by bacterial plaque that builds up and creates an inflammatory process that starts in the gums. Because gum disease starts below the gum line, the signs are not always visible. However, some of the symptoms you might experience are red and swollen gums that bleed easily. As the disease advances, the gums will separate from the teeth and create pockets, and the jawbone that supports the teeth can be affected, leading to tooth loss.

Fortunately, professional gum disease treatment can help to manage or reverse gum disease. If you think that you might have signs of gum disease, please call us today to schedule a dental exam in Dalton.

What Can a Dentist Do for Bad Breath?

Regular visits to the dentist can help to prevent and remedy bad breath. While there are numerous bad breath causes, professional cleanings can help by removing odor-causing plaque and bacteria from your teeth. During your dental exam, the dentist will check for any underlying dental health problems that might be causing chronic bad breath. Some causes of bad breath include:

• Infections
• Cavities
• Dry mouth
• Gum disease

If you have any of those conditions, one of our dentists will create a treatment plan to address the problem. They will also recommend some steps that you can take at home for bad breath management, such as using specific kinds of toothpaste or mouthwash.

Who Should Get Checked for Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer has a good survival rate when it is caught in an early stage. That’s why we recommend that everyone has an oral cancer screening twice a year. Checking for signs of mouth and throat cancer are routine parts of every dental exam at our office.

Oral cancer has strong links to smoking, chewing tobacco, and drinking alcoholic beverages. Exposure to the HPV virus is another risk factor. Even people without those risk factors should have twice yearly oral cancer checks since early detection is so important for successful treatment and recovery from this life-threatening disease.

If you are concerned about a lump, ulcer, crack, or other issues in or around your mouth, please call us right away so that we can see you for a dental exam in Dalton.