Dental Cleaning

Excerpt: Dental cleanings and checkups should be an essential part of your oral care routine.

Posted on: March 17, 2022

Dental cleanings and checkups should be an essential part of your oral care routine. Have you been skipping dental checkups because your oral care is already perfect? Even with an amazing oral care routine, you can still benefit from checkups and professional cleanings. Not sure if you’re ready for a dental appointment? Check out some quick preparation tips!

If you have gingivitis and you let it go unchecked, it may turn into periodontitis, which means you’ll need periodontal services!

What Happens At A Dental Checkup?

A dental checkup has quite a few steps, the staff will do more than just clean your teeth

1) A physical exam

A dental hygienist will perform the teeth cleaning, but before they begin the cleaning they will do a complete physical inspection of the mouth. They use specialized tools, usually consisting of a small mirror, to observe the different parts of your mouth. The hygienist will be looking for tartar buildup, signs of gingivitis, or other potential issues. If they see any significant problems, they may consult the dentist before proceeding with the cleaning.

2) Removing Plaque & Tartar

You will most likely have some amount of plaque on your teeth the hygienist will need to remove. Removing plaque is fairly simple as it is just a sticky film that has not hardened on your teeth yet. If you have tartar buildup in your teeth the hygienist will have a tougher time trying to remove it. Tartar is plaque that has hardened over time due to a lack of oral care. You will experience scraping from the tools, and while it may be uncomfortable at times it shouldn’t hurt. If it starts to feel painful at all you can always inform the hygienist that they are being too rough.

If you have dental anxiety, you can request different stages of sedation to get through the cleaning.

3) Professional Toothpaste Cleaning

After the plaque and tartar have been removed, the hygienist will use a special high-powered drill, and toothpaste to clean the taste. The toothpaste will probably feel different than regular toothpaste, but there are usually multiple flavor options you can choose from.

4) Professional Dental Flossing

Your dental hygienist will floss all your teeth, they will do a significantly better job than most patients since they are tasked specifically with flossing all your teeth.

5) Rinsing & Fluoride

You will then receive fluoride treatment, the fluoride will also be available in multiple flavors. There will be two mouth trays filled with fluoride that will be inserted into your mouth for a short time. After the fluoride treatment is done you will be able to rinse out your mouth completely.

6) X-rays

You probably won’t get an x-ray at every appointment, these are usually done once a year to help keep track of any changes in the teeth. X-rays are incredibly useful for seeing areas of the mouth that are hard to look at, and they will expose any problem areas that are under the gums.

How Much Do Dental Cleanings Cost?

Dental exams may vary slightly in price depending on your specific needs, at Smiles Dental Group we always charge BELOW the recommended price guide for dental fees.

Complete Adult Exam – $101.48 (March 2022)
Complete Child Exam – $71.17 (March 2022)

These exams are typically covered by insurance also so you will probably pay nothing out-of-pocket if you do have good benefits. Even if you have to pay out of pocket, the benefits of the exam far outweigh the cost of it.

What To Expect After A Dental Cleaning?

Your mouth will probably feel unusually clean compared to your normal sensation. This will be partly due to the hygienist cleaning any plaque and tartar off the teeth.