Professional Dental-Cleaning Quiz

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prophycupDo you ever wonder why you need to visit the dentist every six months? It’s not to keep your teeth from turning yellow. Your twice yearly dental visits are to care for your teeth and to prevent future dental problems from developing. Periodontal disease is the major reason for tooth loss, and your dental checkups are a major force in helping keep periodontal disease at bay. The procedures performed during a checkup and professional cleaning can reveal dental problems in their earliest stages. Take our professional dental-cleaning quiz to see how much you know about the reasons for your dental visits.

True or False?

  1. True or False: You only need to see your dentist once a year.
  2. True or False: You should get dental x-rays annually.
  3. True or False: Your dentist or hygienist scrapes your teeth just to be annoying.
  4. True or False: Your dentist or hygienist uses a prophy cup to whiten your teeth.

Answers:

  1. False: The average patient should attend dental visits every six months. There are situations that require certain patients see their dentist more often including patients with diabetes, HIV, and periodontal disease.
  2. True: Many people try to avoid dental x-rays because of radiation exposure. However, exposure from dental x-rays is minute, especially if your dentist uses digital x-rays. Yearly x-rays can show hidden decay, problems with wisdom teeth, tumors, cysts, and bone loss.
  3. False: When your dentist or hygienist scrapes your teeth they are removing harmful bacterial plaque and tartar (hardened plaque deposits) which can lead to periodontal disease which can eventually result in tooth loss.
  4. False: The prophy cup and prophylactic paste is mainly used to smooth and polish your teeth. It is harder for bacterial plaque to adhere to a smooth surface.

ABOUT YOUR NORTH RICHLAND HILLS DENTIST:

With over 25 years of professional experience, Dr. Steven M. Huffstutler and his caring team proudly provide exceptional preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatment to patients and their families across Dallas/Ft. Worth, including North Richland Hills, Denton, the Mid-cities, Southlake, and all surrounding communities. We also have extensive experience helping patients find relief from painful TMJ disorders (various forms of jaw dysfunction). To schedule an appointment with Dr. Huffstutler, contact our office today by calling 817-918-3038.