What is a dental exam?

An annual dental exam should be a regular part of your healthcare routine. This essential exam allows your dentist to monitor your overall oral health and provide early detection for any dental issues that will impact your oral or overall heath, such as tooth decay, gingivitis, and oral cancer.

What to expect at a dental exam?

Your preventative comprehensive dental exam will have a few parts and typically takes about an hour to an hour and a half. These important, thorough exams are meant to provide the highest quality of preventative care and oral health maintenance.

At Paradigm Dental, we are committed to providing a different kind of experience with dentistry. During your routine exam, you will always get our full attention and the very best that our entire team has to offer.

Preventative cleaning

The build up of plaque and tartar on your teeth is perfectly normal. However, daily brushing and flossing simply isn’t enough to get rid of the tartar that collects on your teeth and at your gumline. Your dentist at Paradigm Dental will likely suggest bi-annual dental cleanings, but he may suggest more frequent cleanings based on your exam and overall oral health. For more detailed information on a professional teeth cleaning, visit our cleanings page.

Gingival exam

During every exam, Dr. Mark Shalaby or Dr. Mike Shalaby will examine the health of your gums to determine the type of cleaning that is most appropriate for you and whether any intervention to prevent gingivitis and periodontal disease is necessary.

Dental X-Rays

Dental x-rays are an important part of your dental exam. While you won’t get x-rays every time you visit our office, they provide Dr. Mark Shalaby and dr. Mike Shalaby  valuable insight into your overall oral health that he would not be able to get otherwise.

  • Tooth damage
  • Tooth decay or infection
  • Detect impacted teeth
  • Help determine treatment plans

Oral cancer screening

The best way to produce positive outcomes for oral cancer treatment is to detect it and intervene as early as possible. At your exam, your dentist will perform an oral cancer screening and go over your health history and lifestyle habits to determine your risk.

How often I need Dental X-Rays?

Some people will need x-rays more frequently than others. Additionally, the frequency with which you need dental x-rays will depend on the type of x-rays you are receiving. Generally, you will receive x-rays once a year or every 5 years. Talk to Dr. Mark Shalaby or Dr. Mike Shalaby at Paradigm Dental about how often you need dental x-rays.

Dental exams and x-rays are as essential as annual check ups with your primary care physician. Your oral health is intricately linked to your overall health, and our team at Paradigm Dental is dedicated to making sure you get the compassionate, excellent preventative care that you deserve. Call Dr. Mark Shalaby and Dr. Mike Shalaby today at (512) 992-2822 to schedule your appointment.

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