Dental Exams at Bellevue Family Dentistry in Green Bay, WI
Comprehensive dental exams check for tooth decay and gum health and examine your entire mouth, head, and neck area. The exam will likely include these evaluations:
Head and neck: Your dentist will look for any problems on your head and neck and feel for any swelling or tenderness in your lymph nodes and salivary glands in your neck area. Your dentist will also examine your temporomandibular joint to ensure it is working correctly.
Soft tissue: The soft tissues of your mouth, including the tongue, inside the lips, cheeks, tonsils, throat, the floor, and roof of the mouth, are examined for spots, lesions, cuts, swellings, or growths. These could indicate an oral health problem.
Gum tissue: Your gums and supporting structures of the teeth will be evaluated for red or swollen gum tissue and tissue that easily bleeds when gently probed. Your dentist may send you to a periodontist (dental gum specialist) if you have gum disease.
Occlusion: How well your upper and lower teeth come together will be evaluated. Your dentist might look at how your teeth meet. Check for grinding or excessive wear of the tooth structure.
Clinical examination of teeth: Signs of tooth decay are examined on the surface of every tooth. Your dentist will also check for any problems with fillings, braces, bridges, dentures, crowns, or other restorations.
X-rays — Your dentist will review X-rays to look for signs of tooth decay and gum disease, and other oral health problems.