The Dentist

He dentist is a very important doctor in the lives of people. Dentists help to keep teeth and gum's healthy for their patients. Dentistry is defined as the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The treatment can involve cleaning, surgery or other procedures. Dentists enlist the help of dental assistants, technicians and therapists. Dentists are key to the health of the oral cavity of their patients and can help to prevent gum disease or tooth decay with a simple visit to their office to have a check up. Check ups involving the dentist are recommended every six months instead of the normal once a year check up with a physician.

When at the dentist the patient will go through a variety of procedures to have their teeth cleaned and kept healthy. The first person to see the patient will be the dental assistant. The dental assistant will clean the teeth, top and bottom, with a sharp utensil to remove any and all plaque that has accumulated on the teeth and around the gum's. Then the dental assistant will use a motorized toothbrush with toothpaste to clean the patient’s teeth and gum's. The toothbrush is able to reach the back of the mouth to clean the molars as well.

Even though patients are recommended to have a dental check up once every six months, x-rays are required by a dentist once a year. So once per year a dental assistant will take x-rays of the patient’s teeth and gum's. This is to make sure that the teeth are not infected with any cavities and the gum's do not have any infections that can lead to gum disease. Once the cleaning is complete and the x-rays are done the dental assistant will then find the dentist.

The dentist’s examination of the patient’s oral cavity is the final part of the visit to the office. The dentist will use the same sharp prodding utensil to pull on the teeth of the patient to make sure that they are not loose and will also examine the gum's for any inflammation. Inflammation can be caused by the buildup of plaque as well as sleeping with a wide open mouth. When people snore a lot they leave their mouth open and air dries out the gums, causing them to become inflamed.

Once the dentist has finished examining the patient’s oral cavity he or she will determine whether or not the patient needs any further treatment or surgery. If cavities are found, the dentist will either work on the cavity at the time of the visit or will tell the patient to schedule another appointment. If everything looks good the dentist will tell the patient to schedule their next appointment for six months down the road. For inflamed gums, the dentist will recommend proper flossing twice a day, after brushing the teeth.
Proper flossing includes making sure the floss goes all the way down to the gums in between the teeth to clean the gums too. The dentist can also produce dentures for patients that need false teeth because their original teeth fell out or they had them removed.