Teeth Cleaning & Dental Checkups

There are many ways you can play an active role in maintaining your oral health. Having your teeth cleaned every six months is an excellent place to start. Our hygienists and dentist identify plaque and problem areas, and thoroughly clean your teeth, providing you with information to maintain a happy, healthy smile.

Why is it important to have consistent teeth cleanings and checkups?

Routine checkups are an essential part of proper oral hygiene. Some of the benefits of regular teeth cleanings include:

• Healthier bones and gums.
• Longer lasting teeth.
• Early detection and treatment of cancer and other oral health conditions.
• Beautiful, healthy smiles.

What happens when we miss teeth cleanings?

Not keeping up with proper oral hygiene can lead to:

• Impaired ability to eat and digest foods, leading to nutritional and systemic problems.
• Bad breath, resulting from advancing periodontal disease and/or rotting food particles.
• Negative effects on cardiovascular well-being and overall health.
• Gum infection and disease.

What to Expect at Your First Checkup

Our new patient visits are about an hour long. We take pride in getting to know each of our patients, tailoring treatments to the health needs and goals of every individual. Here’s what to expect the first time you come to our office:

• Dental History—We will gather dental and medical histories so that we have a clear picture of your current health, including any medical conditions that can impact dental treatment.
• Digital X-rays—We take digital x-rays as diagnostic material for your comprehensive oral exam. If you have had x-rays taken within the last 12 months, please have them sent to our office. If you are unable to have x-rays taken, please inform us as you give your medical history.
• Gum Evaluation and Teeth Cleanings—We will evaluate your gums, measuring periodontal pockets with a probe.
• Oral Screening and Teeth Exams—After we perform an oral cancer/lesion screening for symptoms of cancer and other illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, we examine your teeth for decay.
• Oral Hygiene Habits—We end your visit by reviewing and reinforcing proper oral hygiene.

Proper Oral Hygiene: How to Prevent Tooth Decay

There are several simple and affordable ways in which you can fight tooth decay—a common chronic health condition.

1. Brush twice and floss once daily.
2. Have dental cleanings and checkups twice a year.
3. Eat fewer sugary and acidic foods.
4. Ask your dentist about additional cleaning tools.
5. Use toothpaste with remineralizing agents, e.g. fluoride and/or nano-hydroxyapatite, which makes your teeth stronger.

The Teeth Cleaning Procedure

Cleaning appointments are generally about an hour long. Your provider identifies and removes plaque—a soft film that can be removed by brushing—and tartar—a hardened plaque that requires dental instruments for removal. We make every effort to clean all surfaces of your teeth, including the tiny spaces between your teeth and along gum-lines where bacteria gather.

We often complete the cleaning with prophy paste. Its coarse quality, which removes any remaining plaque as it dissolves into a finer texture, leaves the teeth shiny and smooth. We inform you of any areas where plaque and tartar build-up, so you can give those places extra attention by flossing and brushing each day. Our goal is to enable you to easily and effectively care for your teeth.