CHECKUPS & CLEANINGS

You probably see your general practitioner for annual checkups in an effort to remain healthy and also to deter potential health problems. Just like bodily health, oral health requires regular maintenance. In accordance with American Dental Association recommendations, Dr. Young and our hygienists want to see their patients every six months for checkups and cleanings to keep their teeth healthy, strong, and beautiful.

Children should start attending checkups at age one, then add dental cleanings by age four or five.

What to Expect at Your Checkup

A dental checkup is only part of what you’ll experience at your semi-annual preventive care visits. In addition to evaluating each of your teeth for:

Enamel wear
Abscesses
Internal infections
Cracks or crazing (web-like cracking)
Chips
Cavities
Misalignment
Failing dental work

Dr. Young will conduct an assessment of your soft oral tissues for gum disease and oral cancer lesions. He’ll also examine your head, neck, and jaw joints.

Every year, you need x-rays and every two years, you need panoramic x-rays to view your whole mouth. Our digital x-rays are 80-90% safer than traditional radiographs, and the images immediately appear on a monitor. Dr. Young can zoom in to see fine details, which aids in accurate diagnoses.

After he conducts your evaluation and reviews your x-rays, records, and health history, Dr. Young will take time to explain his findings and answer all of your questions. Our administrative team can schedule upcoming visits at times that work well with your personal schedule, and they will be happy to help you with insurance and financing questions, as well.

What to Expect at Your Dental Cleaning

Dental cleanings often take place at the same visit as checkups but only for patients who do not have gum disease. If you’ve not attended six-month checkups and cleanings or you know that you’re suffering from periodontal issues, your cleaning will take longer than normal. In these cases, we like to schedule the appointments independent of checkups.

At a regular dental cleaning, the dental hygienist will:

Talk with you about your brushing and flossing habits
Answer your questions about brushing and flossing techniques
Recommend the best products for daily oral care at home
Probe your gums and chart gum pocket depths
Clean your teeth with an ultrasonic scaler (or by hand, upon request)
Polish your teeth
Answer your questions about topics like breath treatments, smoking cessation, teeth whitening, etc.

Patients who have gum disease need a deep cleaning, also called scaling and root planing. Scaling involves removing plaque below the gum line. Root planing is the reduction of rough areas on teeth roots, to reduce the risk of plaque buildup below the gum line. We usually administer anesthetic for patient comfort prior to scaling and root planing.

This treatment may be broken up into two visits, if necessary. And while regular cleanings need to be performed every six months, deep cleanings should be followed by three-month check-ins to evaluate the healing process and retreat, when needed.

Schedule Now

How long has it been since your last checkup and cleaning? Longer than six months is too long. Preventive dental care, coupled with daily oral care at home, will go a long way toward keeping your natural teeth throughout life. Call 337-237-6453 to reserve your appointment in our Lafayette or Delcambre dental office today.