Examinations

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If you have any questions or comments, or if you'd like to schedule an appointment, please contact us by phone, text or e-mail.

We feel that the dental examination is the most important part of your dental visit. It forms the basis for the diagnosis of the conditions present in your mouth, and for future treatment. In addition, a variety of medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, HIV and adverse outcomes of pregnancy, have associations with oral health. Therefore, we take your examination very seriously.

During your initial or routine dental check-up, the hygienist will gather information to allow Dr. Leske or Dr. Schierlinger to perform a thorough evaluation. The complete examination consists of:

Health History Review – Certain medical conditions and/or medications can affect your oral health. We also look at your family history since genetics plays a role in the mouth-body connection.

Caries Risk Assessment – We will evaluate certain factors which may put you at higher risk for developing dental disease and discuss preventative measures to meet your specific needs.

Blood Pressure Screening – Hypertension is a prevalent condition that contributes to important adverse health outcomes, including premature death, heart attack, renal insufficiency and stroke. We screen every adult patient at least once per year according the AMA recommendations.

Oral Cancer Screening – We will be checking the outside of your head and neck and the inside of the mouth for any abnormalities from side to side.

Restorative Examination – We will look over your existing crowns and fillings to see how well they are holding up for you.

Clinical Examination of Tooth Decay – All tooth surfaces are checked for decay with special dental instruments.

Periodontal Evaluation – We will measure the pocket depth around each tooth and check for bleeding which indicates unhealthy tissue.

Radiographic Examination – Necessary radiographs will be taken which are essential for detection of decay that cannot be seen clinically, faulty restorations, tumors, cysts, abscesses and bone loss.

Temporomandibular Joint Screening – We will record the width of the opening of your mouth and check for any popping or clicking of the jaw joints. We will evaluate the position of teeth and relationship of the upper and lower teeth to the functioning of the jaw joint.

Once the evaluation is complete, we will review all of the findings with you. Our objective is to provide a plan that will maintain your oral health for the rest of your life!