To maintain healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime, it is essential to see your dentist every six months for a teeth cleaning and dental exam. This preventive care is the backbone of oral health and ensures that your teeth are clean, healthy, strong, and fully functional. Ida Alfonso Dental Arts is a family dentistry practice in Carlsbad, CA, that offers teeth cleanings to patients of all ages.
What to Expect During a Teeth Cleaning
All dental cleanings proceed in relatively the same way, unless you have a major oral health problem that needs to be addressed. Here is what you can expect:
- Teeth cleaning: Your dental hygienist uses professional tools to scrape away the pesky plaque and tartar your toothbrush and dental floss cannot reach, and then delivers a thorough flossing and polishes your teeth to a high shine.
- Dental exam: Your Carlsbad dentist will examine your entire mouth for signs of decay, gum disease, gum recession, and other problems that could cause complications later. Having an expert’s eyes on your teeth every six months ensures that problems are addressed quickly before they have a chance to become painful, more severe, and more costly.
- Oral cancer screening: An oral cancer screening is brief but crucial. This health problem is not obvious to the untrained eye in early stages, but your dentist will recognize signs of trouble by reviewing all the tissues in your mouth, from tongue to lips, cheeks to palate, throat to neck.
- Consultation: Your teeth cleaning is the time to talk to your dentist and hygienist about all your oral health questions. Whether you’re looking for recommendations about an electric toothbrush or wonder whether you’re a good candidate for Invisalign or porcelain veneers, now is the time to get all your questions answered.
- X-rays: Most insurance plans allow for x-rays once a year, a timeline that dentists support. These important images let your dentist see what might be going on within your teeth and in the roots so any potential problems are addressed sooner rather than later.
- Fluoride treatment: The youngest dental patients will receive a fluoride treatment at each dental visit to strengthen teeth and help prevent cavities. While all kids receive this treatment at their six-month appointments, adults can request it too.
The Importance of a Professional Teeth Cleaning
You may take excellent care of your teeth and gums at home, prioritize your oral health, and brush twice a day and floss daily. Don’t use this diligence, however, as an excuse to skip a professional teeth cleaning. This six-month visit is crucial to maintaining your oral health and here’s why:
- Your hygienist can reach everything. No matter what cleaning tools you have and no matter how thorough you are, you simply can’t reach every nook and cranny of your mouth like a hygienist can. Their thorough cleaning is incomparable.
- Your dentist recognizes problems you never would. Your teeth may look white, shining, clean, and healthy to you. But your dentist will notice things like a hairline crack that, when treated immediately, can prevent decay, infection, and treatments like root canals and other dental restorations. A teeth cleaning simply saves you time, expense, and discomfort.
- You maintain a strong foundation. Do you dream of one day getting a smile makeover? If cosmetic dentistry is in your future, your teeth and gums need to be healthy enough to make it happen. Regular teeth cleanings keep your smile in good shape for future upgrades.
Cost Factors of a Teeth Cleaning
Most dental offices have specials for first-time teeth cleanings for new patients. The cost of the visit, whether you are paying out of pocket or with dental insurance, typically includes the following services:
- Teeth cleaning
- Dental examination
- Oral cancer screening
- X-rays (if needed)
- Consultation
- Fluoride treatment (for children)
Get a Teeth Cleaning in Carlsbad
Contact Ida Alfonso Dental Arts in Carlsbad to schedule a teeth cleaning for you or a member of your family. We happily treat patients of all ages.
