Q: What part of your body helps you to digest your favorite foods,
say "cheese," and look great in pictures?
A: Your teeth!
It's true. Your teeth are an important part of your smile, and they also help you
chew foods like crunchy apples or yummy pizza.
Brushing and flossing are important, but you also need to visit your dentist regularly
to keep your teeth strong and healthy. Let's learn more about what happens at the
dentist's office.
What Does the Dentist Do?
The dentist is a doctor who is specially trained to care for teeth. When you visit
for a checkup, your dentist will look at your teeth and gums to check for any problems.
The dentist also wants to make sure your teeth are developing properly as you grow.
It's important to visit your dentist every 6 months to make sure you're taking
good care of your teeth and that your teeth and gums are healthy.
What Happens at the Dentist's Office?
After your name is called in the waiting room, you'll go into an exam room and
sit down in a big, comfortable chair that is like a huge recliner. The chair will
have a place to rest your head and lots of room for you to stretch out your legs.
Next to the chair may be a little sink with a cup that you can use to rinse out your
mouth as your teeth are being cleaned.
During the exam, your teeth will be cleaned, flossed, and checked for cavities.
Cleaning and Flossing
One of the first people you'll meet at the dentist's office is the dental
hygienist (say: hi-JEH-nist). A dental hygienist is a person who knows all
about keeping teeth and gums clean and healthy.
The dental hygienist will look inside your mouth to make sure your teeth are growing
properly and your gums are healthy. A bright, overhead light will shine down into
your mouth like a giant flashlight so the dental hygienist can get a good look inside
your mouth.
The dental hygienist will clean and polish your teeth, using tiny dental tools
like a tooth scraper, mirror, and special toothbrush. The tooth scraper removes plaque
(say: plak) from your teeth. Plaque is a thin, sticky layer that coats your teeth
and contains bacteria (say: bak-TEER-ee-uh) that grow on your teeth
over time. Plaque that isn't removed from your teeth can cause decay, or a cavity
(say: KAH-vuh-tee).
Next comes brushing and flossing. The dental hygienist will brush your teeth with
a special toothbrush and toothpaste. The toothbrush has a small, round tip that moves
around and around to clean your teeth. The toothpaste might taste like your own toothpaste
at home, but it will feel a little grittier — almost like sand.
Then the dental hygienist will floss your teeth and show you the proper way to
brush and floss your teeth at home. Flossing involves using a piece
of waxy string called dental floss to get in between your teeth and remove food particles
that your brush can't reach.
During your visit, the dental hygienist will take X-rays, or pictures, of your teeth.
X-rays are like superhuman vision. They can show cavities hiding between your teeth
and problems beneath your gums. A 