Oral Exams in Ancaster, ON

Oral exams are a great way to keep your smile healthy and avoid dental emergencies and other issues. At Golf Links Dental, our experienced dentist near you will thoroughly examine your teeth, gums, and restorations, such as fillings and crowns, for any irregularities during your oral exam appointment.

An oral exam allows your dentist to spot the early signs of dental problems like cavities or gum disease and help you proactively take care of these issues. Regular oral exams are a great time for your dentist to review your oral health and dental hygiene techniques to keep your smile healthy between visits.

What Is An Oral (Dental) Exam?

Your dentist carefully reviews your oral health during an oral exam in Ancaster, ON. At Golf Links Dental, an oral exam is an important part of a first-time visit or a regular 6-monthly dental appointment. An oral exam can also identify a specific issue in a part of the mouth, such as pain, swelling, or missing teeth.

Dentists usually perform the following four types of oral exams:

Comprehensive Oral Exam

If you visit Golf Links Dental for the first time or haven’t visited us for some time, you will likely get a comprehensive oral evaluation. During this evaluation, our dentist will thoroughly examine your oral health, including the signs of any irregularities.

These exams are a baseline for the dentist to assess your oral health. After completing this exam, the dentist will be better positioned to suggest whether you need any specific dental procedure.

Periodic Oral Exam

You should schedule an oral exam with your dentist once every six months whether you have any dental issues or not. During your periodic oral exam, your dentist can update your records to reflect that you are in good oral health or that there are signs of any potential issue.

A periodic dental exam may include a dental x-ray, depending on whether the dentist observes any issue during your visit. Typically, you will get an x-ray once a year during one of your periodic oral evaluation appointments.

During these exams, your dentist will review your x-rays, conduct a detailed visual dental examination of your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues and look for signs of inflammation, bleeding, or infection.

The periodic oral evaluation also involves oral cancer screening, where your dentist will look for warning signs of oral cancer and other conditions.

Limited Oral Exam

These oral exams are ‘problem focused’ and are conducted when you show up at a dental office with a problem like pain or discomfort. The main goal of these exams is to identify the issue and treat the symptoms.

Your dentist might also take digital x-rays of the affected area for a proper diagnosis.

Follow-up Oral Exams

Follow-up dental exams are usually scheduled after receiving certain dental treatments. These exams aim to check the healing and progress of dental procedures like implants, root canals, and other orthodontic procedures.

At Golf Links Dental, we encourage parents to schedule the first dental exam of their child at 12 months and every six months after that.

What Are the Benefits Of Regular Oral Exams?

There are several benefits to scheduling your six-month oral exam at Golf Links Dental. Not only do these exams ensure that your oral health is in order, but they can also provide you with valuable information about your overall health. Signs of certain diseases like arthritis, diabetes, and lupus may first appear in your mouth, and regular dental exams can spot them.

Oral exams can detect any potential dental issue like cavity, decay, or periodontal infection before the situation gets out of hand.