Cleaning and Exams

Cleaning and Exams

Routine dental checkups are vital to good oral hygiene and are the best way to detect problems at their earliest stages. Early detection and treatment saves unnecessary discomfort, time, and money. The Academy of General Dentistry recommends checkups twice a year. Oral hygiene needs change with age and the condition of your teeth and gums. We may recommend a checkup schedule that is more or less frequent than twice a year.

Regular exams are an important part of maintaining your oral health.

During your exam, we will:

• Check for any problems that you may not see or feel
• Look for cavities or any other signs of tooth decay or breakdown
• Inspect your teeth and gums for gingivitis and signs of periodontal disease
• Perform a thorough teeth cleaning

Your routine exam will take about 1 hour. Each regular exam includes a detailed teeth cleaning, in which we will clean, polish, and rinse your teeth to remove any tartar and plaque that have built up on the tooth’s surface. When recommended, our office uses digital x-rays to detect problems that cannot be found during a visual exam. Digital x-rays provide and instant result and emit 90% less radiation.

Gum Disease
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an infection of the gums surrounding your teeth. Gum disease is one of the top reasons for tooth loss in adults, and because it is virtually pain-free, many patients do not know they have the disease. During each regular checkup, we will check for signs of periodontal disease by measuring the space between your teeth and gums. Gum disease is caused by a buildup of plaque (a sticky form of bacteria that forms on the teeth). If the plaque is not removed (by flossing, brushing, and regular dental checkups), it will continue to build up and create toxins that can damage the gums. Periodontal disease forms just below the gum line and creates small pockets that separate the gums from the teeth. When periodontal disease is diagnosed, we will create a treatment plan unique to the needs of each patient with the goal to manage this disease for a healthier mouth.