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Oral Health Assessment Tools

When you visit your dentist for a checkup examination, several different tools enable him to perform an oral health assessment. These tools enable the dentist to discover the existence of any dental problems requiring treatment, and help him to design a treatment plan to correct the problems and restore your oral health.

  1. X-rays

    • X-rays are important assessment tools used by your dentist to determine the health of areas of the mouth not visible to the naked eye when performing a visual examination. X-rays aid in the proper diagnosis of your oral health by revealing decay between teeth and under fillings and the formation of abscesses. They also enable your dentist to check your bone support, tooth alignment and to discover impacted teeth, which are teeth that have not erupted, usually due to lack of space. X-rays also will help discover tooth or bone fractures, tumors and the extent of periodontal problems.

    Visual Examination

    • The dentist performs a visual examination using a dental mirror and an explorer, which is an instrument with a curved, pointed end that probes the crevices of your teeth to check for problems. When making his diagnosis, your dentist includes any additional problems discovered on the X-rays to determine the proper course of treatment to restore your oral health. Your dentist also checks the alignment of your teeth, and does a cancer screening as part of the dental examination.

    Models

    • Your dentist uses diagnostic impressions, or wax-ups, to create molds of your teeth. The molds represent working models of your teeth. The dentist creates a treatment plan by closing spaces, changing the shape, size and location of your teeth on the models. This method provides a visual demonstration to the patient rather than just a verbal explanation of the proposed treatment plan.

    Periodontal Probe

    • If your X-rays and examination reveal gum problems or disease, your dentist uses a periodontal probe to measures the depth of the spaces between your teeth and gums. The average space measures 3 mm, according to dentists at DeCo Dental. Deeper pockets are an indication of the necessity of periodontal treatment or surgery.

    Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)

    • CBCT is similar to a CAT scan used by physicians when making a medical diagnosis. The CBCT provides your dentist with a three-dimensional view of your mouth versus the two-dimensional image provided by X-rays. This unit allows the dentist to make a more accurate diagnosis, determine the exact location of impacted teeth, and provides a more accurate placement of prosthetics, such as implants and crowns.

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