85 North Park Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570
(516) 763-4500
85 North Park Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570
(516) 763-4500
Dental exams are fundamental for preventive dentistry. Regular evaluations and X-rays allow you to detect oral health issues early when they are more accessible and less costly to treat. This proactive approach allows for timely intervention, minimizing damage to your teeth and supporting overall oral health. A dental exam doesn’t take very long to complete and is painless and non-invasive.
Dentists often hear this question from patients who feel their teeth and gums are perfectly healthy and view regular dental exams as unnecessary, but it is a short-sighted approach to dental health.
The purpose of having regular dental exams is so we can monitor your oral health closely. Often, the first signs of oral disease will create few or no symptoms that are easy for you to overlook or ignore.
Dr. Shoukry can quickly detect any early signs of disease or problems, allowing us to provide appropriate dental care well before you feel there is anything wrong. The sooner we can diagnose any issues, the more easily we can correct them, helping to preserve and protect your natural teeth.
For example, a small cavity will not cause any pain and is easily filled. Leaving it untreated puts you at risk of developing an unpleasant toothache and an infection that could need root canal therapy or increases the risk of losing the tooth entirely.
I have not been going here for long, but the experiences I have had so far have been great. They work quickly and efficiently and I left feeling very satisfied the check-up. The staff was very kind and helpful.
Most people only need a dental exam every six months to help ensure they maintain good oral health. However, everybody is different, so we devise a custom preventive treatment plan for each patient after your first visit to our practice.
When you first visit South Nassau Dental Arts, we complete a comprehensive dental exam to thoroughly assess your current dental health. We also review your medical health, including any medications, as these could affect the recommended treatment plan. Once we have this information, we can advise you on how often you need a dental exam.
Some people have an increased risk of cavities or gum disease, which might be due to genetics or lifestyle habits such as smoking. Certain diseases, for example, diabetes, can increase the risk of periodontal disease (gum disease).
We might recommend pregnant women see us more frequently for closer monitoring as pregnancy can increase the risk of pregnancy gingivitis, a form of gum disease.
Dental checkups and teeth cleaning appointments are important during pregnancy to protect the health of both mom and baby. Routine preventive dental care and many dental treatments are perfectly safe during pregnancy, and it can be more harmful to leave dental problems untreated.
Your dental exam is only an examination, so no treatment is provided.
We will ask if you have noticed any changes to your dental health or have any concerns during this appointment. We will also want to know if there have been any changes to your general health since we last saw you. If you have begun taking new medications, please bring a list to your appointment as this could affect any suggested treatments or your preventive oral care plan.
Our dentist will gently but thoroughly check each tooth for any signs of lesions or soft spots that could indicate the beginnings of a cavity. We also check your gums carefully, taking measurements using a small periodontal probe.
The probe measures the depth of the space between each tooth and the surrounding gum. When your gums are healthy, there is a depth of no more than 3mm between the tooth and gum. Any deeper can indicate the beginnings of gum disease, so these checks are extremely important.
Did you know dentists are trained to check for signs of oral cancer?
Oral cancer can affect the throat, cheeks, lips, tongue, roof, and the floor of the mouth. This disease is often detected when well advanced and at a stage when treatment is much trickier and more invasive.
Regular oral cancer screenings can pick up the early signs of any changes to the tissues inside your mouth and at a stage when treatment can be more successful, providing a better long-term prognosis.
Our board-certified family dentist will check inside your mouth for any changes to the color and texture of the soft tissues and sore spots that fail to heal properly. We can take a small tissue sample for a more detailed biopsy if we notice anything amiss.
Oral cancer screenings are especially important for anyone who smokes or who might have other risk factors for this disease. However, around a quarter of all cases of oral cancer occur in people with no known risk factors, so these screenings are important for all adults.
We take digital dental x-rays periodically. These show areas hidden from view, including the contact areas between teeth, tooth roots, and the position of teeth still to erupt, for example, wisdom teeth. They are extremely useful when monitoring your dental health or diagnosing any potential problems, such as decay between teeth.
Digital x-rays are very safe, and we take every precaution to minimize exposure. The benefits of these diagnostic images far outweigh the tiny risks. For every new patient, a full mouth series of x-rays is taken for a full view of all the teeth. A checkup set of x-rays are taken usually once every year thereafter.
Most people have at least one or two fillings or other restorations such as dental crowns, bridges or implants, or dentures. Regular preventive dentistry helps prolong the life of these restorations, but they may still need replacing periodically. As they start to age, these restorations can begin to leak.
During your dental exam, we check each restoration carefully so it can be renewed before it starts to leak, so it continues to protect your teeth and dental health.
After completing our comprehensive dental exam, we will discuss our findings.
If you require any treatment, we devise a custom treatment plan detailing every possible option, the time needed, and the costs involved. We explain every recommended treatment clearly, ensuring you understand how it will help your oral health and can make an informed decision about your oral care. Questions are always encouraged.
At the end of your appointment, we can schedule a follow-up visit or your next dental exam.
Dr. Adam Shoukry, DDS, is a cosmetic dentist who strives to provide each of his patients with personalized care and educate them on the state of their dental health so that they can make informed decisions. Dr. Shoukry really enjoys his work and is committed to continued education, having attended several accredited courses in every aspect of dentistry.
Dr. Shoukry graduated from NYU College of Dentistry with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and then completed his general practice residency at Nassau University Medical Center. Being a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Shoukry strives to provide comprehensive dental examinations, a full range of cosmetic treatments, and the best restorative oral health care available.