How Dentists Use a Mouth Mirror to Examine Your Teeth

Northside Dental Clinic in Springfield, MO. provides a wide array of dental services to the local area. Helpful, friendly staff and advanced dental equipment combine to give you the best experience possible when you visit our dental office.  

Today’s blog post will cover how our dental staff utilizes the mouth mirror to examine teeth and why it’s important for quality dental service. 

What is a Mouth Mirror? 

It’s a commonly used item in dentistry and can range in size. Otherwise known as a dentist’s mirror, the head of the instrument is a small, round mirror embedded in stainless steel. It’s designed to be slightly concave in order to refract light, and make reflected images brighter and larger.

Sometimes an especially small mirror is needed when a dentist needs to reach towards the back teeth or if a dental dam is obstructing the way.

Why Are Mouth Mirrors Used by Northside Dental Staff? 

Accuracy and Consistency. The Northside dental staff uses the mouth mirror to more accurately identify any issues with teeth, especially those that can be difficult to spot. We’re able to provide great cleaning service every time by using a mouth mirror.

Safety. A mouth mirror is the safest way to gently pull back tissue, areas of the gums, cheek, or tongue to garner a better look at the issue at hand. 

Expediency. Using a dental mirror makes it quicker for us to identify the tiniest spot 

on a tooth that needs to be addressed. It also means getting through your appointment faster. 

4 Primary Uses of a Mouth Mirror

The mouth mirror is an integral part of any professional dentistry practice and has four major benefits to a clinician. 

• Greater Visibility 

The tool is used to give a magnified view of certain parts of the teeth, making it easier for the dentist to see what’s going on. 

• Retraction of Soft Tissue

It has a versatile use. It can be used to move the tongue or cheeks to get a better view of the teeth. 

• Reflect Light

Some areas of the mouth have poor light and are hard to see, even using overhead dentist’s lights. Being able to see better means being more likely to identify and solve dental issues early. That’s good news for everyone involved. 

• Better Posture 

Without this helpful dentistry device, dentists and dental assistants would most certainly have worse posture, which leads to issues in the back and neck region. 

Better posture makes it easier to do the job of inspecting and cleaning teeth quickly and thoroughly. 

Dental Mirrors in the Technological Age 

They’ve gotten a lot smarter. In fact, some dental mirrors, like the Smart Mirror, have all sorts of nifty features, like integrated LED lights, real-time video capture, and shareable images. 

Visit Northside Dental Clinic for a Quality Checkup

The dental hygienists and dentists at Northside Dental Clinic in Springfield, Missouri, are here to help give you excellent dental services, along with great bedside manner. Visit our contact page or call us today at (417) 862-2468 to schedule an appointment.