Dental Exams & Cleanings

Even if your teeth and gums feel perfectly fine, you can benefit from a dental exam and cleaning. If you have not been to the dentist’s office in six months or longer, it is time to schedule your next dental exam and cleaning. Dial (425) 888-2703 to schedule an appointment with our office. Our dental exam is thorough in that it analyzes the entirety of the mouth. This is accomplished with the use of x-rays that provide images in between the teeth that reveal cavities that could otherwise not be seen. Our dental exams also include an oral cancer screening. The dentist will use a specialized light to determine if you have any signs of oral cancer.

The dentist will also examine your x-rays, existing restorations and tooth decay. If there are issues with the current crowns, fillings or areas around the teeth, the dentist will let you know and determine the best course of action. Once your exam is complete, the dentist will clean your teeth with dental instruments that thwart calculus in a manner you cannot accomplish on your own with a toothbrush. The dentist might also clean beneath the gums and add fluoride to protect your teeth all the more. The dental hygienist will also floss your teeth and add a polishing compound.

Dental X-Rays

Dental x-rays are essential to maintaining oral health. Our dentist, David Primrose, DDS, certainly has a trained eye yet no dentist can see in the small, concealed spaces between teeth. An x-ray is necessary to view these hidden and tight spaces. The dentist will closely analyze the x-ray images to determine if you have one or several cavities between your teeth. The x-rays emit such a small level of radiation to obtain the images of the spaces between the teeth that it won’t pose a threat to your health.

Ideally, you will visit with the dentist every six months and have a dental x-ray performed at this frequency or at least once per year. If you have a specific dental issue or have undergone a procedure or treatment that the dentist would like to gauge the progress of, even more frequent dental x-rays might be necessary. The frequency of your dental x-rays is also dictated by symptoms of oral disease, current oral health, age and whether you have a history of tooth decay or gum disease.

If you are a new patient with our office, we advise dental x-rays as they provide us with a clear look at the exact state of your oral health. Every parent should understand kids tend to need dental x-rays at a comparably high frequency as the dentist will have to monitor the growth of teeth as they emerge.

Home Care

The actions you take at home in the context of oral health are just as important as those taken by the dentist. Ideally, you will visit with the dentist twice per year and also take care of your teeth with daily flossing, brushing and mouth rinsing. The optimal home care routine involves cleaning the teeth through flossing, brushing and rinsing with mouthwash after each meal. Listen closely as our dentist, David Primrose, DDS, details what you can do on your own in terms of home care and you will reduce your number of cavities while simultaneously lowering the chances of gingivitis, halitosis and other oral health maladies.

Home care is centered on brushing the right way at the right frequency. Wait at least 20 minutes to brush your teeth after eating as your tooth enamel is sensitive during this period of time. Use a separate piece of floss to brush your upper row and lower row of teeth. Though mouth rinses have the potential to cause a burning sensation, eat away at your budget and overpower the senses, the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks. Rinse with mouthwash at least two times per day and you will help combat germs and halitosis.

How to Properly Brush & Floss

Brushing and flossing are of paramount importance to oral hygiene.  Though bi-annual professional dental cleanings remove plaque, tartar and debris, excellent homecare methods are equally valuable.  Proper brushing and flossing can enhance the health of the mouth, make the smile sparkle and prevent serious diseases.

Reasons why proper brushing and flossing are essential:

• Prevention of tooth decay – Tooth decay is one of the leading causes of tooth loss, and its treatment often requires complex dental procedures. Tooth decay occurs when the acids found in plaque erode the natural enamel found on the teeth. This phenomenon can easily be prevented by using proper home hygiene methods.

• Prevention of periodontal disease – Periodontal disease is a serious, progressive condition which can cause tooth loss, gum recession and jawbone recession. Periodontal disease is caused by the toxins found in plaque, and can lead to serious health problems in other parts of the body. Removing plaque and calculus (tartar) from the surface of the tooth using a toothbrush, and from the interdental areas using dental floss, is an excellent way to stave off periodontal problems.

• Prevention of halitosis – Bad breath or halitosis is usually caused by old food particles on or between the teeth. These food particles can be removed with regular brushing and flossing; leaving the mouth healthier, and breath smelling fresher.

• Prevention of staining – Staining or the yellowing of teeth can be caused by a wide variety of factors such as smoking, coffee and tea. The more regularly these staining agents are removed from the teeth using brushing and flossing techniques, the less likely it is that the stains will become permanent.

The Proper Way to Brush

The teeth should be brushed at least twice a day; ideally in the morning and before bed.  The perfect toothbrush is small in size with soft, rounded-end bristles and no more than three months old.  The head of the brush needs to be small enough to access all areas of the mouth, and the bristles should be soft enough so as not to cause undue damage to the gum tissue.  The American Dental Association (ADA) has given electric toothbrushes their seal of approval; stating that those with rotating or oscillating heads are more effective than other toothbrushes.

Here is a basic guide to proper brushing:

1. Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle where the gums and teeth meet.

2. Use small circular motions to gently brush the gumline and teeth.

3. Do not scrub or apply too much pressure to the teeth, as this can damage the gums and tooth enamel.

4. Brush every surface of every tooth, cheek-side, tongue-side, and chewing surfaces. Place special emphasis on the surfaces of the back teeth.

5. Use back and forth strokes to brush the chewing surfaces.

6. Brush the tongue to remove fungi, food and debris.

The Proper Way to Floss

Flossing is a great way to remove plaque from the interdental regions (between the teeth).  Flossing is an especially important tool for preventing periodontal disease and limiting the depth of the gum pockets.  The interdental regions are difficult to reach with a toothbrush and should be cleansed with dental floss on a daily basis.  The flavor and type of floss are unimportant; choose floss that will be easy and pleasant to use.

Here is a basic guide to proper flossing:

1. Cut a piece of floss to around 18 inches long.

2. Wrap one end of the floss around the middle finger of the left hand and the other end around the middle finger of the right hand until the hands are 2-3 inches apart.

3. Work the floss gently between the teeth toward the gum line.

4. Curve the floss in a U-shape around each individual tooth and carefully slide it beneath the gum line.

5. Carefully move the floss up and down several times to remove interdental plaque and debris.

6. Do not pop the floss in and out between the teeth as this will inflame and cut the gums.

If you have any questions about the correct way to brush or floss, please ask your dentist or dental hygienist.