Cleanings and Exams
It's your dental IQ

Dental Exam
Your first visit with us will always start with a dental exam. A dental exam typically begins with a thorough review of your medical history and any concerns you may have. Our dentist will then visually inspect your teeth and gums, as well as the tongue and soft tissue of your mouth (oral cancer screening). X-rays are usually taken as well to identify problems not visible during the visual exam. Finally, the dentist will discuss her findings with you and recommend any necessary treatments or preventive measures to maintain your oral health.
Dental Cleanings
​Dental cleaning or alternatively dental prophylaxis is a preventive dental procedure aimed at maintaining oral health and preventing disease. It typically involves a thorough cleaning of the teeth, including scaling to remove plaque and tartar, and polishing to smooth the tooth surfaces. This procedure is usually performed by our dental hygienist and is recommended every six months to help keep your teeth and gums healthy. Regular cleaning and check ups can significantly reduce the risk of cavities and gum disease​

VELscope and oral cancer screening
At Metropark Dental each comprehensive or periodic dental examination is accompanied by an oral cancer screening. Oral cancer screenings are painless, quick exams that check for early signs of cancer in the mouth, neck, and throat. Our dentist or dental hygienist will visually and physically examine the area for:
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Red or white patches
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Mouth sores
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Lumps or other abnormalities
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Enlarged lymph node
These screenings are important to you. Each year about 50,000 people in the USA alone are diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancer and about 20% of them dies. In many cases, oral or oropharyngeal cancers are not diagnosed until the localized lesion has spread regionally to lymph nodes in the neck or metastasized to a more distant part of the body such as the lung. Once this happens the options for treatment are diminished and the chances of a full recovery are reduced dramatically. If oral cancer is discovered early, the 5-year relative survival rate is over 85%. If discovered late, the survival rate drops to about 40%, however life changing post-surgery complications may follow.
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VELscope:
For a nominal fee, our dentist or hygienist will perform an additional, more detailed examination with the help of the VELscope to try and find anything that they might have missed with the regular exam. The VELscope is an optical diagnostic device that emits specific wavelengths of blue spectrum light into your mouth to stimulate natural tissue fluorescence which can be viewed directly through the VELscope. Research has shown that the VELscope can help find abnormal tissue that might have unnoticed by the naked eye.
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