For most patients, we recommend twice-yearly visits for cleanings and examinations. During those visits, we will clean away any accumulated tartar on your teeth. Even if you brush and floss your teeth thoroughly at home, tartar will still collect in spots that are hard to reach. We’ll clean those out for you. We’ll also polish your teeth thoroughly. Polishing removes any remaining tartar and eliminates some staining.

This visit also gives us a chance to inspect for any damage to your existing dental work or look for decay while affected areas are still small. We can then schedule you for any further work while the repairs needed are minimal. 

In addition to good at-home care, maintaining a twice-yearly schedule of visits is the most important thing you can do to keep your teeth healthy.

As we inspect your teeth, we also examine your gums. If you are suffering from gum disease, you may have noticed symptoms like these: 

• You have red or swollen areas in your gums
• There is some bleeding when you brush or floss
• Teeth or gums hurt when you bite or chew food
• Some teeth feel loose or are sensitive
• Your teeth look longer because gums have receded 

With prompt treatment of gum disease, you can stop further development of these issues. Eliminating these problems could require a better at-home-care regimen, or, if they are more advanced, special treatment in our office. 

Advanced gum disease is called “periodontitis.” We may recommend cleaning out tartar that has accumulated below the gumline. This is called “scaling.” Another treatment called “root planing” smooths the roots of your teeth to eliminate areas where bacteria can thrive. 

If you notice any signs of gum disease between your regular prevention or professional cleaning visits, please contact us immediately.