A dental hygiene appointment, more commonly called an “exam and cleaning” are performed by a hygienist. Hygienist are oral health professionals that are specially trained in preventative oral health care. Visiting your dental hygienist is a vital part of maintaining both your oral and overall health.

 

Your hygiene appointment will begin by reviewing and/or updating your medical history, which includes any current medications you are taking, as this could have an impact on your dental hygiene. If this is your first appointment at Kelowna Dental Clinic, then the hygienist will also chart any previous dental work you’ve had done, review your at home oral hygiene regime and ask if  you have any issues or concerns with your smile. Once this is completed, the hygienist will do a thorough exam of the head, TMJ and neck before examining intra orally to assess your tongue, tissues, and gums. In order to check the health of your gums the hygienist will “probe” between your gums and teeth to measure the pocketing between them on an annual basis. These measurements help to determine the frequency in which a patient should have their hygiene appointments, although the general recommendations is every 6 months.

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Depending on when you have last had x-rays taken, you may have a Panorex, a PA and/or Bitewing x-rays taken so that Dr. Ashley can examine the teeth, jaw and surrounding areas.

 

Each X-Ray accomplishes different insights as to what is happening inside of your mouth. A panoramic x-ray, more commonly referred to as a pan, uses a large machine which spins around your head to capture a full image of the upper and lower jaw, as well as your teeth on one image. They are frequently used for diagnosis of wisdom teeth, orthodontics assessment, diagnoses of advanced periodontal disease, oral cancer detection and to assess your bone levels, along with the temporal mandibular joint.