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‘Do I really need a check-up?’
A new patient phoned up recently requesting an examination and a cleaning. During the discussion the patient asked ”Do I really need an examination?”
Our answer, probably unsurprisingly, was ”Yes!”
Dental Examination
Dental Examination
The value of the examination
Trust and relationship building
Prior to doing a scale and polish all dentists are ethically obliged to perform an examination for your safety and here in Ireland it is mandatory as set out by the Dental Council. Â This is because a scale and polish is a prescriptive service. In other words, a hygienist is not allowed to perform a scale and polish without a prescription from the dental surgeon. A prescription is only achievable after an examination is completed.
The examination also has several other benefits for you. It allows you to build a relationship with your dentist and you  can judge whether they are a ‘good fit’ for you. How do you know if you can trust a dentist to look after your dental welfare if you only come in for the odd appointment and haven’t built up a relationship with them? You can ask questions, assess the cleanliness of the surgery, see if the staff and dentist are friendly and professional and discuss the best way forward for your dental care. This is immensely valuable for you.
Oral cancer – a big killer in Ireland
During an examination it is not only the teeth that are checked. You also have your soft tissues examined. Importantly. your tissues are checked for oral cancer. A dentist is usually the only health professional that gets a chance to look for this on a regular basis. There are 400 new cases of oral cancer a year in Ireland. Did you know more people die of oral cancer in Ireland than cervical cancer? However, it has a very good cure rate if caught early.
Advanced Oral Cancer
Tear inducing toothache, extractions and root fillings
As you know, one of the main reasons you would have an examination is to check the health of your teeth and gums and this is greatly assisted by x-rays. The great injustice of dental disease is that you don’t usually know you have a dental problem until there is pain. Dental pain is one of the worst pains you can have. We have seen people in tears due to it. In fact, often by the time there is pain, you are faced with a tricky decision as to whether to have a tooth out or save it by having a root filling. Neither option is ideal. Losing teeth affects your speech, eating capability and worst of all can look ugly. Root fillings are time consuming and can be unnecessarily costly.  The pain, tooth loss and costly treatment are all avoidable simply by having an examination to detect problems early.
Painful large cavity
Is gum disease giving you heart trouble?
As mentioned previously, the examination assesses gum health also. If gum health is not assessed by having an examination, the most appropriate advice and prescription for treating any gum disease cannot be made and you then don’t have the opportunity of attaining good gum health – teeth may get loose and fall out sooner than they should. In other words a simple scale and polish may not not be enough treatment to cure your gum disease. Further ‘deep cleaning’ may be better for your health.  Advanced gum disease (periodontal disease) is exceedingly common. In fact it the second most prevalent disease in the world (after  tooth decay!) and is linked to heart disease, stroke, preterm babies and low birth-weight babies. There are a whole host of other systemic diseases that periodontal disease is now being linked to.
Gum disease and gum recession
Tooth decay and gum disease (periodontal disease) are the two most common diseases in the world. By having a dental examination you can avoid severe dental pain, debilitating tooth loss, expensive treatment including root canal treatments and fatal oral cancer. Moreover, advanced gum disease is linked with several diseases, but especially heart disease. Can there be any doubt that a dental examination is of  great value?
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