APPOINTMENTS >> Re-Care Appointments
Your maintenance schedule is designed specifically to meet your needs. We strongly suggest that you honor it so that we can maintain your oral health. Re-care appointments are extremely important because they enable us to identify problems early when they are less expensive to treat. They also allow us to maintain your periodontal health and to assess previous dental work. During re-care appointments, we perform a comprehensive exam that includes X-rays, a periodontal exam, an oral cancer exam, and a visual exam.
X-Rays
We take a full set of X-rays that shows the condition of your teeth, roots and bone, and allow us to determine the presence or degree of periodontal (gum) disease, abscesses, abnormal growths, impacted teeth, decay, and other signs of disease that are not visible to the naked eye.
Periodontal Exam
A periodontal exam enables us to determine the health of your gums. By checking for signs of infection and probing around each tooth to measure the depths of the pockets, we can establish the presence or degree of gum disease. If no periodontal disease is present, we clean your teeth during this appointment. If gum disease is present, we explain and schedule the treatment you need. The periodontal exam is crucial for all patients since more adults lose their teeth as a result of gum disease than of any other cause. In addition, oral infections can affect your overall health.
Oral Cancer Exam
We perform an oral cancer exam to search for abnormal lumps, bumps, red spots, white spots, brown spots, or any other suspicious areas where tissue changes occur. Because early intervention with oral cancer is important, we also use the Velscope light system to detect abnormal changes.
Visual Exam
A visual exam enables us to check for decay, defective restoration, structural compromise, tooth position, and unusual wear. We also take note of missing teeth, spaces, crowding and color, and consider gum position and contour as well as symptoms related to temperature and pressure. We may also use the Diagnodent, a small laser instrument, to help us detect decay in its early stages.
Inform us of Your Medical Conditions
Since some medical conditions leave patients at increased risk of infection, require pre-medication, delay healing, or need special treatments, it is crucial that you inform us of your present and previous medical conditions. In addition, please keep us informed of the following of changes in your medical condition between appointments; all medications you are taking including prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, and herbal supplements; and latex allergies, osteoporosis medication, blood thinner medication, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, diabetes, heart disease, or joint replacement.