Preventive Care: More than Teeth Cleaning
Have you been skipping your dental appointments because you don’t see any problems with your teeth? We recommend you contact our office! These bi-annual visits with our team do a lot more than treat tooth pain or leave you with sparkly clean teeth. Teeth cleaning appointments are considered preventive dental care and involve an oral examination with our dentist, x-rays, and oral cancer screenings, in addition to the hygiene cleaning. Routine teeth cleanings in Waterford, CT can catch early signs of infection, decay, or disease that you may overlook during your at-home hygiene care and allow us to provide timely and targeted treatment when necessary. Overall, the goal of these appointments is to ensure you have a functional, healthy smile and in turn, maintain good oral and overall health!
Why Are X-Rays Important?
X-rays provide a critical baseline for understanding your bone levels and tooth structure, enabling us to deliver the highest standard of care. At Graniteville Dental Solutions, we believe in going beyond the basics to support your long-term dental health. Regular x-rays help us detect issues that might not be visible during a routine examination, such as hidden decay, cysts, tumors, or changes in bone density. This early detection is crucial for timely intervention and treatment, preventing minor problems from becoming major concerns. By incorporating x-rays into your preventive care routine, we ensure a comprehensive overview of your oral health, allowing us to tailor our treatments to your specific needs and enhance the effectiveness of our care.
What to Expect at Your Hygiene Visit
You can expect your teeth cleaning appointment to take about an hour and should cause little to no discomfort. If you have generally good oral health, we recommend you visit our office for cleanings every six months. However, if you have been treated for gum disease, it’s important that you schedule appointments every 3-4 months, or as recommended by your dentist for a dental deep cleaning. In general, you can expect your visit to follow these steps:
Step 1: Discussion
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During the first phase of your appointment, we encourage you to discuss dental issues or tooth pain you may be experiencing as well as any interest you have in improving the cosmetic appearance of your teeth. We’ll be able to address these issues or smile goals during your appointment or may need to schedule a future visit to complete the recommended procedures.
Step 2: Examination
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You’ll receive an oral exam where we will check for signs of gum disease and tooth decay. This includes examining the pocket depth of your gums and looking for dark spots on the teeth or areas of tartar buildup. We’ll also perform an oral cancer screening by evaluating the color and texture of your oral tissues. If you are due for x-rays, we will take them at this time and our dentist will carefully examine any suspicious areas in your mouth found on these images.
Step 3: Dental Cleaning
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Our dental hygienist will use special tools called dental scalers to remove the plaque and tartar on and between your teeth and along your gum line. Even if you brush and floss your teeth regularly, this tartar can still build up on your teeth and can only be removed with professional teeth cleaning.
Step 4: Polishing
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Using a handheld electric toothbrush, our hygienist will then polish your teeth with a gritty prophylaxis paste. This process helps gently scrub your teeth clean and remove any stains and leftover tartar. The paste we use is similar in taste to regular toothpaste. Once your teeth are clean, our hygienist will gently floss your teeth.
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Life
It might be easy to overlook your dental cleaning every six months, but the benefits affect more than your smile. Your oral health is considered a window to your overall health. Problems like tooth decay, missing teeth, and gum disease can all lead to more serious problems if not addressed at a routine appointment. Similarly, regular visits to our dentist ensure that potential issues are treated quickly or prevented altogether. No matter how long it has been since your last teeth cleaning, or what shape your smile is in, we welcome you to our office to experience our comprehensive and affordable dental care. We’ll help you maintain a healthy, beautiful, and functional smile for life!