Before the actual cleaning process begins, we will start with a physical exam of your entire mouth.

Annie will uses a small mirror to check around your teeth and gums for any signs of gingivitis (inflamed gums) or other potential concerns.

During this process, we will do our Oral Health Scan as well to get a digital record of your mouth.  Common problems found are malocclusion with heavy wear, fractures, or chips, decay, and gingivitis among others.

It's also during these steps that we are looking for signs and symptoms of oral cancers.  Common places are under the tongue, sides of the mouth and back near the throat. 

If she detects major problems, she might call Dr. Davies to verify the next steps.

With the small mirror to guide them, Annie uses different techniques to get rid of plaque and tartar around your gum line, as well as in between your teeth. There's water, some noise, but overall a very easy and relaxing experience. 

Brushing and flossing stops plaque from building up and hardening into tartar. Once you have tartar, it can only be removed at a dentist’s office. 

After your teeth are completely tartar-free, Annie brushes them with a high-powered electric brush.  It’s a great way to get a deep clean, get a polish, and remove any tartar left behind.

Whether you floss regularly at home or not, nothing beats an expert flossing session. We will get deep between your teeth and locate any potential trouble spots where you might bleed at the gums.

This might seem pointless if you floss at home, but having a professional floss your teeth also removes any leftover plaque or toothpaste from earlier in the cleaning process.

Next, you rinse out your mouth to get rid of any debris.  Our   mouth wash has elemental silver and calcium as an antibacterial cleaning effect as well as helping to remineralize the enamel. 

1. Prophylaxis Dental Cleaning

The word prophylaxis means “to prevent disease”. Therefore, prophylaxis dental cleanings are used to clean healthy teeth in order to prevent them from becoming affected by tooth decay or gum disease. Prophylaxis cleanings remove plaque and tartar from the front, back, and sides of teeth using a dental scaler or water stream. Most dental patients only require a prophylaxis cleaning, especially if they have kept up on daily dental hygiene and semi annual dental appointments. 

2. Scaling and Root Planing Cleaning

Scaling and root planing cleanings, also known as deep cleanings, are used to both the teeth and gum pockets in order to treat gingivitis and periodontitis. Deep cleanings for gingivitis are usually completed in a single dental appointment. Deep cleanings for periodontitis, on the other hand, may require multiple appointments and local anesthetics depending on the severity. Scaling is the process that removes plaque and tartar from the tooth’s surface and in the gum pockets below the gum line that form as a result of gum disease. Not only does this remove bacteria, but it also helps to reduce gum inflammation. Root planing is the process of smoothing the tooth roots, which helps the gums reattach to teeth and eliminate gum pockets. 

3. Periodontal Maintenance Cleaning: 

Periodontal maintenance cleanings are also dental cleanings designed to treat gum disease. Like scaling and root planing, they remove excess plaque and tartar from the tooth surface and gum pockets, then smooth out the roots if needed. The main thing that sets periodontal maintenance cleanings apart is that they are usually performed more often than other types of dental cleanings. This is because gum disease is progressive and will continue to get worse if not effectively treated. 

4. Gross Debridement Cleaning: 

Gross debridement cleanings are the most heavy-duty of teeth cleanings designed to clean teeth with copious amounts of plaque and tartar. These cases are generally individuals that struggle to maintain an oral care routine or who have avoided the dentist for a significant amount of time. Since plaque hardens into tartar and large amounts of tartar are especially hard, an electrical tool is used to loosen tartar during gross debridement cleanings. Once the excess plaque and tartar have been removed, a prophylaxis cleaning is performed to further clean the teeth. 

We recognize the need for x-rays (radiographs), but we do what we can to limit them for our patients.  By having digital x-rays, we have lowered the radiation from them to almost nothing.  We don't need the radiation as high as we did traditionally.  Digital x-rays allows us to virtually  manipulate the image to be able to get the detail and clarification needed.

To further avoid them, we use our iTero Scanner to detect for decay and other harmful areas.  The scanner is equipped with NiRi which uses infrared to spot concerned areas.  This technology has been shown to detect potential harmful issues sooner than what would show on an x-ray. This allows for more conservative treatments.

If you have x-rays from a previous office, you are welcome to bring them if they have been taken within 6 months. 

Our average New Patient exam is scheduled for two hours, but it typically doesn't go as long.  This allows for paperwork, record taking, the cleaning and enough time for questions and concerns.  

Our existing patient cleaning times are for 60 minutes. 

Yes!  Misaligned teeth are harder to clean than properly aligned teeth.  If straightened, the brush and floss are able to clean more efficiently.  Placing the teeth in their proper position, can help to reduce pockets, reduce inflammation, and otherwise reduce excess stress thats been previously placed on the teeth. 

We don't offer any fluoride treatments in the office.  It's not something that we want to do.