Have you ever wondered what happens during your childs dental cleaning?
Here are the typical steps in a child’s dental visit:
- We will walk back to the exam room with the child and parent and ask if there have been any changes in the health history.
- We will ask the parent and child if there are any dental concerns.
- Often, we ask the child about school or their summer. We want the child to feel comfortable before the exam gets started.
- Depending on when the child last had x-rays, we may take them back to get the x-rays done.
- Next, we move back to the exam room and chair and we count the teeth and mark which teeth are existing on the chart and if there are any wiggly ones.
- Then we will scale the teeth, removing plaque build-up, and polish them.
- After that, usually a quick rinse, and on to flossing.
- Generally, after flossing, we then use an instrument that blows air, just to confirm there is no plaque remaining.
- We will do a cancer screening, checking the sides of the tongue and the roof of the mouth and all around. (Oral cancer is rare in children, but this is part of the process).
- If everything looks good, we will go over some oral hygiene instructions and call the dentist to do his/her check.
- The dentist usually asks the same questions, checks the teeth, and makes sure any concerns are checked out.
- Lastly, we do a fluoride treatment – either the foam tray or the varnish, (depending on the office)
- Then we walk the patient out and give any follow-up instructions before scheduling the next visit.
I hope this helps both you and your child feel more comfortable with dental exams. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! We are here for you.
