When was the last time you looked into a mirror and smiled? What did you see? Beautiful teeth and gums. That’s what everyone sees when they open their mouth. However, the teeth and gum are not the only things present in the mouth. Bacteria and other substances are hidden in plain sight, invisible to the bare eyes.
This squad of non-visible substances that includes bacteria is known as plaque, and they can cause harm to your mouth if you do not act fact. They threaten your oral hygiene and prevent you from having healthy teeth and gums.
If you already have healthy gums and teeth, plaque can still form and put your mouth at rest if you are not careful. The plaque resides on the enamel, gums, and gums. So, when you brush and floss daily, you get to remove some of the plaque. However, the plaque can manage to hide in places where your brush or floss cannot reach. These include places like the depression and grooves of your teeth or the middle of your gumline. These plaques survive on the food particles left in your mouth after eating and are the significant causes of food decay.
In some other cases, the plaque can harden and become tartar. This tartar spreads below the teeth to the gumline and destroys the gums and jawbone. If you want to reduce the possibility of having plaque in your mouth, you need to watch out for following poor hygiene practices;
- Smoking: It makes your body less immune to resist plaque.
- Eating Sugary and Starchy Foods: They strengthen the plaque and make them more lethal to the mouth.
- Eating junk food
- Poor oral hygiene
These are just some things you can look out for to protect your teeth from decay and other dental-related problems. The list above is only a temporary solution, and it cannot sustain a person for so long. It would help to visit a dental clinic near you for a regular dental screening.
What is a Dental Screening?
A dental screening refers to a thorough check-up of the lips, teeth, gums, jaw, cheek, and mouth of children. This screening aims to spot symptoms of oral diseases like tooth decay and other dental issues like tooth loss, trauma, abscesses, etc.
A dental or oral screening is usually carried out by a primary care professional or any other professional deemed qualified under the state’s acts or regulations. You can find any of these professionals in any dental clinic. They can offer guidance and teach you more oral health tips.
Oral screenings take less than 5 minutes to be completed unless an issue is spotted. If a problem is spotted, the dentist will refer the patient to another professional for a dental examination. Only people who have been educated, trained, equipped, and certified by the state government can be allowed to perform a dental exam.
In Park Ridge, IL, dental screening is usually done for children, so the parent has to be there during an oral screening. For children below the age of 3, the parent will sit in front of the professional with their knees joined together. The child is placed on the parent’s laps for the professional to access the mouth properly. For children above the age of 3, the child can lie down on a table for the professional to check the mouth. Alternatively, the child can sit on the parent’s lap so they can both face the professional. The patient can help the professional hold the child’s head in the proper position to check the mouth.
How Often Should You Get a Dental Screening?
A child’s oral health can affect their eating habits, speech, smile, sleep, and overall health. According to the American Academy of Pediatricians, children are supposed to go for their first oral screen from 6 – to 9 months old. Dental screening in Park Ridge, IL, and every other place should be done every six months until the child clocks three. After then, the child can go back at the age of six.
Primary care professionals are available in almost every dental clinic around you; however, if you want to find experts at their jobs and care about your child’s welfare, visit Complete Health Dentistry of Park Ridge to get your child screened.