Dental Checkups & Cleanings – Carrolton, TX
Ensuring Your Grin Stays Safe & Healthy
Oral issues may seem like they come out of nowhere, but such problems often start out small. For example, a slight loss of your enamel may worsen until it becomes severe tooth decay. The good news is that it’s possible to nip these minor oral conditions before they get bigger. To do so, just visit our office for some dental checkups and cleanings in Carrolton! As for what these sessions involve, please read on or book a consultation to learn more.
Why Are Regular Dental Checkups & Cleanings Important?
Though it can sound tempting to skip regular dental visits, this habit wouldn’t do you any good. Failing to have check-ins with a dentist leads to many long-term costs.
For starters, dental checkups and cleanings help you avoid severe health issues. They diagnose and treat your smile’s small problems before anything worse can take hold. In particular, they remove built-up plaque and bacteria that would otherwise give you cavities, gum disease, and worse. That means they prevent symptoms like toothaches, tooth loss, etc.
Furthermore, these checkups and cleanings save you time and money. Each one only takes an hour at most and receives full coverage from dental insurance. Just by skipping one, you may end up having to attend an expensive multi-hour treatment at a later date. That’s likely if you need restoration work – this kind of dentistry is invasive, lengthy, and pricey.
What to Expect During a Dental Checkup
The standard dental checkup has elements like:
- Review of Medical History – Depending on the checkup, Dr. Dillard may review your medical history and medications. The truth is that such medicines can affect oral health.
- An Oral Exam – Dr. Dillard starts each checkup by assessing your teeth, bite, and existing dental work. As part of this process, he also looks for signs of oral cancer.
- Dental X-rays – Our office takes dental X-rays at least once yearly to check for problems beneath the surface.
- Custom Treatment Plan(s) – If we spot any problems in your smile, our dental team will draft a treatment plan based on the diagnosis. We’ll then lay it out for you step-by-step.
- A Brief Q&A – Dr. Dillard will answer your treatment-related questions near the end of your appointment.
What to Expect During a Dental Cleaning
Even if you stick to daily brushing and flossing, you can’t thoroughly clean your whole mouth alone. It’s for this reason that dentists perform regular teeth cleanings. At each of these sessions, you can expect:
- General Cleaning – By using special instruments, a dental hygienist will remove your smile’s plaque and tartar. This work reduces your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
- Polishing – Our team members will polish your teeth after the main cleaning. Through this step, we’ll remove your grin’s minor stains.
- Flossing – Once most of the cleaning is done, we’ll floss between your teeth. Doing so gets rid of plaque that we may have missed earlier.
- Fluoride Treatment – As the last cleaning step, our office may apply a fluoridated gel to your teeth. This material would bond to your teeth and protect them from tooth decay and cavities.