Oral health is important to our daily lives, much like our physical health. While diet and nutrition are important to having healthy teeth, so are regular dental cleanings. Each year, millions of adults and children head to the dental office for their first dental cleaning or even a dental cleaning that is far overdue. If you are about to undergo a dental cleaning, it is important to be familiar with what you can expect during this much needed visit to the dentist. There are a lot of cosmetic entistry Batavia IL clinics you can choose from that you can assure fits your needs and is convenient to your location.
Upon entering the dental office for your dental cleaning, you can expect the dentist’s front office staff to ask that you complete a medical and dental history questionnaire. This information is vital as your oral health and your physical health are interconnected. Medical history will include information about an existing prescription medications you may be taking as well as information about any pre-existing medical conditions you may be living with or any prior surgeries. It is important to share all of this information with the dentist as it may influence the types of treatments and dental cleaning services your dentist can provide to you.
Once your new patient information paperwork is complete, the dental staff should take you to a dental chair and begin to confirm the information in your paperwork while preparing you for examination by the dentist. Since not all dental cleaning visits include examination by a dentist, it will be important to ask that you have a dental exam prior to a cleaning to ensure that a dental cleaning is appropriate for your oral health condition. Once the dentist has completed his initial examination, the dental hygienist will begin with your cleaning.
Dental cleanings typically include several steps. First, the hygienist will clean the teeth with a dental cleaning agent that will clear away the deep level plaque that has developed around your teeth and gums. Next, the dental hygienist may begin to engage in some deep level cleaning by scraping along the teeth and gums, removing away more difficult plaque build-up. Flossing is another service provided by the dental hygienist during your dental cleaning, followed by a fluoride treatment to lock in the cleaning elements and to further protect your teeth from wear, tear and cavity development.
Because many dental insurance plans do not cover fluoride treatments, your dental hygienist may opt to skip this step as part of your dental cleaning. Therefore, when you enter into the dental office, be sure to ask about this service as it is important to your overall dental cleaning outcome. Even if you are required to pay for the fluoride treatment as an out-of-pocket expense, it is well worth the added cost to ensure your teeth are provided the full, and encompassing, dental cleaning.
Once your dental cleaning is complete, your final step will be the dental check-out process. Upon leaving the dentist’s office, your next dental cleaning exam should be scheduled for six months later and your co-pay and out-of-pocket expenses should be paid. As a general rule, your dentist office may advise that you should not eat or drink for about one hour to ensure the agents and solutions used in your dental cleaning are given ample time to clean the teeth.
Whether this is your first dental cleaning experience or your long overdue dental cleaning experience, you should have no pain with this visit. In addition, upon leaving the dental office, you can expect that you will know what future dental treatments are needed to ensure your long term dental health and walk away with not only a time and date for your next dental cleaning but a brighter and whiter smile.
