Cleanings & Checkups
Many people wonder if making it to their semi-annual dental appointment is really necessary.
The short answer is—yes!
Good preventive care helps reduce your risk for certain illnesses and can help you achieve and maintain the level of excellent oral health that lets you look and feel your best.
Providing Your Medical History
Your routine visits are an excellent opportunity to tell us about any issues or discomfort you’ve been experiencing in your mouth. You’ll also want to give a detailed description of your medical history and come prepared with a list of any medications you take.
Knowing your medical history allows us to gain a better understanding of your overall health. After all, there is a systemic link between your oral health and the prevalence of many serious health concerns. For example, periodontitis (advanced gum disease) is associated with heart disease, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and low birth weight in babies born to mothers with the disease.
Examinations
Symptoms of some dental conditions may be so subtle that only a dentist can identify them.
During your visit, we thoroughly examine your mouth and check for signs of tooth decay. We also evaluate you for risk factors associated with illnesses like bone loss and periodontal disease. This way, potential problems can be identified in their early stages while they are easily treatable.
Your dentist will also check your bite and may take x-rays or recommend other diagnostic measures.
Teeth Cleaning
During your visit, we will clean your teeth gently and professionally. Our dental team meticulously removes hard-to-reach plaque. At this time, we may also give you tips on how to improve your at-home care routine, and your hygienist can show you proper procedures for brushing and flossing.
A thorough teeth cleaning not only helps improve your oral health but also makes them look great! A good cleaning can also have a whitening effect on your smile. Your cleaning will leave you looking and feeling great.
Schedule an Appointment Today!
Don’t miss your semi-annual visit! Contact our office and schedule an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
New Patients
Yes. A dentist must conduct a comprehensive oral exam and a full mouth series of X-rays (commonly called an FMX) to determine what type of cleaning is needed. Cleanings are typically not completed on the same day as the exam as cleaning appointments can vary from 30 min - 90 min depending on your needs. We do not know how much time to schedule with the hygienist until you are evaluated by the doctor and a periodontal diagnosis has been made. If you have had a recent FMX within the last year from another provider, you may have them emailed over to our office prior to your appointment.
Established Patients
Yes. A dentist shall conduct a dental examination on a patient within 13 months after a dental hygienist removes the patient’s calculus deposits, accretions, and stains from exposed surfaces of the teeth or from tooth surfaces within the gingival sulcus. X-rays are taken yearly during your exam as part of our team’s commitment to your thorough oral health care.
We recommend that you brush your teeth at least twice daily using good technique. Our skilled dental hygienists will be happy to review your technique with you and give you pointers to help you improve to get the most out of your home-care routine.
X-rays are a dentist's most important diagnostic tool. Often, problems start inside your teeth or beneath the gumline. By the time the problem is visible to the naked eye, it can be painful and more difficult to treat. Using x-rays taken on a regular basis, we can catch problems early and treat them quickly and comfortably.
Even with excellent hygiene habits, it's easy to miss small areas of your teeth. Over time, the missed plaque will harden into tartar, which can only be removed with a dental hygienist's tools. When tartar accumulates beneath the gumline, the end result is red, puffy, inflamed gums — the beginnings of periodontal disease.
Examinations are an important opportunity for us to check in with you, see how you are doing, and make sure that your teeth are healthy. We want to catch problems when they are small and can be treated easily. This allows for more comfortable and less costly dentistry for you. Unfortunately, by the time you are in pain, simple measures are no longer effective. Regular examinations allow us to nip this situation in the bud and keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Sajan Desai
After earning his undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Desai went on to pursue his Doctor of Dental Medicine at Midwestern University. Dr. Desai’s mission is to treat every patient as if they were his family member and provide the highest quality dental care in a timely and comfortable manner. ...
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