Basic Dental Services You Need Every Year

One of the main reasons people come to our dental office is because they need comprehensive care. Most of our office visits are not looking for implants, veneers, reshaping, or anything else along those lines. They just want the basic dental services you need every year. If you are in the same situation, you might want to learn about the preventative dental treatments you can use to keep your smile shining bright. Here are some procedures to think about.

Dental Cleanings

Annual dental cleanings get rid of built-up plaque between the teeth that you may not be able to get to on your own. During a cleaning, a dental assistant will go over every tooth in your mouth to remove things that you don't need. Then she will floss thoroughly to get rid of loose plaque she scraped off. After that, you'll be asked to go through a series of mouthwashes to clean the remainder of your mouth. Then you're good to go for another year.

Dental Exams

During a dental exam, a dentist will look over your teeth to check for signs of cavities, tooth decay, abnormal discoloration, and more. He or she will also look over your gums to look for periodontal disease and gingivitis. Dental exams are some of the most important parts of comprehensive care because they detect early signs of serious problems. This means you will have the best chance of getting your smile where it needs to be.

X-Rays

Most dentists will take X-rays of your teeth once a year to see if any new problems have come up under the surface. For instance, you may have a new tooth coming in that was not there before, and your dentist will have to figure out what to do with that. I like keeping up-to-date X-rays of my patients because it gives me a timeline to track if a problem develops. This is especially true for children whose teeth are still trying to grow and get situated. If an issue comes up, I have before and after pictures to compare.

Annual dental appointments keep your smile shining bright. They clean and polish teeth in ways that you just can't do on your own, and they identify issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. Without routine dental exams, you run the risk of tooth decay, cavity development, gum recession, and so much more. Contact Dr. Dana Price today to schedule you consultation.