Dental Visit Expectations

Expect more from your dentist. Choose Ritter and Ramsey located in Jupiter, serving Palm Beach Gardens, and all of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Even if you’ve been to a dentist before, if it’s been a while, you may not remember exactly what to expect. While your dentist or someone in their office can walk you through the procedure once you get there, it’s still good to know what you are walking in to. Here is what you should expect when visiting your dentist for a regular dental visit…

Evaluations

Before your dentist starts working on your cleaning and other services, they are going to want to take a look at your overall oral care. It may have been a while since your last appointment, and your dental records likely aren’t fully up to date.
Your dental evaluation will consist mainly of checking:

  • your teeth for cavities, restoration needs and decay
  • your gums for disease and recession,
  • your bones for disease and jaw issues
  • and your bite.

Cleaning

This is the part that most people are nervous about, but you really shouldn’t be. While there is a lot of whirring and pressure—for the most part—dental cleanings aren’t painful…unless you have some issues with the health of your teeth or gums.
Your cleaning will help to remove plaque and debris, which is followed by polishing and flossing.

X-Rays

The next step of your dental visit may involve getting x-rays done. This is going to help the dentist to determine how your bite looks, and to have a better overall look at your teeth. X-rays can be vital for certain dental issues, but you won’t need to get them done every visit. X-rays generally are not painful, and the exposure to radiation is low.

Suggested Dental Care Improvements

One of the most important parts of your dental care is what you do at home. If you aren’t properly taking care of your teeth and gums by regularly brushing, flossing and using mouthwash, you run the risk of developing cavities, gum disease and a host of other issues that can lead to tooth decay, plaque and other problems that ruin your teeth and gums. Your dentist will generally ask you questions about your dental care, and it’s important to be honest when responding. They want to help you and give you the guidance that you need to forgo additional, non-routine trips to the dentist.

Your dentist will walk you through how to properly brush and floss, especially if you ask them for advice. They will also make different dietary and health suggestions to prevent dental diseases and oral cancer. These may include cutting back on sugar and eliminating tobacco products. Overall, a routine dental exam and cleaning should be a simple process—especially if you are taking good care of your teeth, gums, tongue and mouth at home. If additional services are needed, your dentist will walk you through those procedures. Make sure that you are seeing your dentist at least twice a year to ensure your oral health, and to get the deep cleaning that your teeth and gums need.

Expect more from your oral health care provider. Consider Ritter and Ramsey for all things dental.

Curious about how often you should really visit the dentist? Read more about our suggestions here.