You expect your dentist to be concerned with your oral health. You will probably be surprised when your dentist stats to examine your head and neck during a routine dental visit. However, you should know that many oral or dental issues may show up in parts of your head and neck. Examples include:
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
The temporomandibular joints connect your jaw to the sides of your head. Jaw problems, which are dental issues, often exhibits itself as pain and restricted movement in the temporomandibular joints. Therefore, your dentist will examine these joints for signs of pain or restricted movement that may signify jaw problems.
Further symptoms of the condition include:
Problems that may lead to painful jaw joint include teeth grinding and clenching, arthritis of the temporomandibular joint, stress, physical injury to the head and others. Therefore, an examination of this part of the head can reveal a lot about your dental health.
Bite Problems
Bite problems are those that interfere with the alignment of your teeth. Examples include overbites, underbites, crossbites and overcrowded teeth. Bite problems increase your risk of teeth decay due to increased difficulty with oral hygiene. Apart from that, they also strain your jaws, leads to increased risk of tooth breakage and can also make it difficult for you to chew food normally.
So how can a dentist know that you have a bite problem by examining your head? Well, apart from a physical examination of your teeth, a dentist can also tell that you have a bite problem if you have abnormal/asymmetrical facial appearance, difficulty in chewing food and difficulties in speaking.
Oral Infections
Another oral health issue that may be diagnosed via a head/neck examination is an oral infection. The dentist may examine your head to size up your lymph nodes. These nodes are located at the base your skull, under the jaw and chin, above the collarbone and around your ears.
If the lymph nodes are enlarged and tender when touched, then you may be dealing with an oral infection. Therefore, after examining your head and finding the enlarged nodes, the dentist may perform other oral exams to look for the infection.
As you can see, it is not just your oral cavity that can reveal the state of your oral health. Therefore, you should subject yourself to any examination that your dentist wishes to perform. Cooperate with the dentist during the examination, for example, by pointing out the painful areas so that the dentist may come up with an accurate diagnosis. If you're looking for a dentist in your area, visit Village Family Dental.
Share5 June 2015
Do you care for your teeth like you should? Most people brush their teeth, but so many people rush through this process and are not as careful as they should be. Still others avoid flossing. A lack of dental care over the years can lead to increased decay. Thankfully, we have dentists who can treat decay with fillings, crowns, and in some cases, root canals. Dentists also provide preventative care. They can clean your teeth and use things like fluoride treatments to strengthen your enamel. The more you know about dental care, the better you'll be able to care for your mouth, so feel free to read some of the articles on this website.