Preventive Care
Regular checkups, cleanings and screenings catch trouble while it is still cheap and simple to fix. Most of dentistry's worst problems never have to happen.
- Visit cadence
- Every six months
- Appointment
- About an hour
- Includes
- Exam, cleaning, X-rays as needed
- Ages
- Children and adults
Every service is quoted up front, before we start. All PPO insurances accepted.
The service
Stop problems before they start.
Preventive dentistry means keeping teeth and gums healthy so problems never take hold, rather than treating them after they do. At each visit we examine your teeth and gums, clean away what brushing cannot, check that existing fillings and crowns are still sound, and take X-rays where needed to catch what the eye cannot see.
Checkups also screen for the bigger risks: gum disease and oral cancer. The American Cancer Society counted 54,010 new cases of oral or throat cancer in the United States in 2021, and early detection changes the odds. Depending on what we find, we may recommend fluoride treatments, dental sealants, more frequent cleanings or an oral hygiene plan built around your own mouth.
Play a contact sport? Ask about a custom mouth guard. Made to fit your mouth exactly, it protects far better than anything off the shelf.
Is it for you
Worth asking about if.
You do not need to match every line. Any one of them is reason enough to ask.
- It has been more than six months since your last cleaning
- Gums bleed when you brush or floss
- Old fillings or crowns that have never been rechecked
- A child whose adult molars are coming in
- You play a contact sport without a custom mouth guard
Afterwards
Between visits.
Brush twice a day, floss daily, keep sugary and acidic drinks occasional, and stay off tobacco. Daily brushing keeps plaque down at home, but tartar can only be removed in the office, so keep the six-month appointments even when nothing hurts.
Call the office if:
- A tooth becomes sensitive or starts to ache
- Gums bleed persistently or pull away from the teeth
- A filling or crown chips or comes loose
Common questions
Answering your questions.
How often should I come in?
Every six months for most people. If you are prone to gum disease or decay we may recommend more frequent visits.
What does preventive dentistry cover?
Cleanings, exams and X-rays, plus dental sealants, fluoride treatments, oral cancer screening and custom sports mouth guards.
Is it worth coming in if nothing hurts?
Yes. Preventive care exists to keep it that way, and it costs far less than treating problems after they take hold.
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