Dental Exams & Cleanings
What are Dental Exams & Cleanings?
Prevention is key when it comes to keeping your child’s teeth healthy and strong. We often advise parents to bring their kids in for their first dental checkup when they first start noticing their baby teeth coming through the gums. From that point on, a six-month checkup is necessary to help us clean their teeth and detect underlying dental or oral problems. Cleanings are performed by licensed dental hygienists and an exam allows us to create a personalized treatment plan specific to their needs.
Why are Dental Exams & Cleanings needed?
Even with the very best brushing and flossing at home, your child still needs a professional cleaning. The cleaning is designed to remove tartar, which is a hard, chalky white substance that builds up on their teeth. Tartar is nearly impossible to remove through brushing and flossing alone. Exams are needed because they allow us to monitor the growth and development of their smile, as well as any dental-related problems that might need treatment.
Who is a candidate for Dental Exams & Cleanings?
Every child, regardless of their age, is a good candidate for preventative care. If your child has teeth, even if it’s just one or two, they can and should come in for an appointment. We recommend that children come in for checkup appointments every six months. We will help to recommend certain treatments as well as provide them with the care that they need.
What happens during Dental Exams & Cleanings?
The checkup appointment is quite easy and is done in our kid-friendly office. We will sit your child in one of our dental chairs. Our licensed and registered dental hygienist will then clean their teeth using special tools. The teeth are flossed and polished to a beautiful shine. Our doctors then perform the exam to monitor growth and development. We will look for other problems, such as cavities, loose teeth, orthodontic issues and broken or cracked dentition. We create a treatment plan specific to your child, if additional work is needed, and they’ll be scheduled for another six-month appointment before leaving the office. X-rays may be taken at the time of their checkup appointment as a way for us to monitor underlying growth and tooth development.
If your child is in need of a dental cleaning and exam, call our office today so that we can get them in as soon as possible for an appointment.