Check-ups & Cleanings

A regular checkup is the most important thing you can do for your dental health, next to brushing and flossing. Regular checkups aren't just about cavities - and they aren't just for kids, either. Checkups are primarily about prevention: ensuring that new dental problems don't develop and preventing existing problems from becoming worse.

Everyone needs regular checkups. The reason is simple: you can't do it all alone. Even if you're diligent about brushing and glossing, your teeth and gums still need regular care from a dental professional. A checkup can include some or all of these procedures:

SCREENING
Your dentist looks for anything unusual and catches small problems before they become big ones. He checks for gum disease, cavities, eroded fillings, hairline tooth fractures, infections, and, particularly if you smoke, abnormal tissues that could turn into oral cancer.

TREATMENT
Sometimes your dentist can fix a small problem right away - filling a cavity, for instance. You might receive a fluoride treatment to help prevent cavities.

CLEANING
Your dentist or hygienist removes tartar (aka "calculus") that you can't reach. Tartar causes gum disease. A cleaning leaves your whole mouth feeling great.

ADVICE
Based on the results of your checkup, your dentist can give you helpful advice on personal dental care and can answer you questions about your dental health.

Checkup frequency is dependant on a number of factors:

• Existing dental problems
• The likelihood of new problems
• The effectiveness of your personal care program
• Your rate of tartar build-up and so on

We may suggest that you visit us more or less frequently.

EIGHT THINGS YOUR DENTIST CAN SEE THAT YOU CAN'T:

• Deterioration in fillings crowns and other restorations.
• Decay on roots of teeth exposed by receding gums.
• Periodontal pockets caused by gum disease.
• New decay under the gumline.
• Cavities under existing fillings.
• Hairline tooth fractures.
• Impacted wisdom teeth.
• Early signs of gum disease.

CLEANINGS:
Cleaning and polishing are regular parts of a checkup for three reasons:

1. Cleaning is the only way to remove hardened deposits of tartar from oyour teeth. If it is not removed, tartar can cause gum disease.
2. Cleaning smooths and polishes the surfaces of your teeth and your fillings so they are less likely to accumulate plaque, the invisible bacterial film that builds up on your teeth every day.
3. Cleaning removes some stains and mild discolourations, so your teeth look better.

Here are the main steps in cleaning, scaling/root planing, and polishing teeth.

• Flossing removes plaque from under the gumline and between teeth and removes food particles from between teeth.
• Scaling/root planing removes hard tartar from teeth and is usually done in two steps. Gross scaling removes larger particles of tartar and debris. Fine scaling, gets much smaller particles, especially from back teeth and other hard-to-reach places.
• Polishing smooth and cleans all the surfaces of all teeth and helps prevent plaque build-up.

A thorough cleaning can take some time during a checkup, or separate appointments may be necessary, but it's time well spent. Professional cleaning is important in preventing gum disease, the most common adult dental problem.

A dental checkup is a two-way street. Your dentist can tell a lot about your teeth and gums just by looking, but he can be much more effective if you do your part as well. Tell us about changes in your mouth and your general health. We can give you information and advice that may make the difference between maintaining good dental health and losing it. Remember that good dental health can lead to good general health.