Dental Checkups and Cleanings – Lakewood, CO
An Easy Way to Keep Your Smile Healthy
Only about one-third of Americans visit their dentist every year, according to
the American Dental Association. That’s a shame, since regular checkups
and cleanings are an easy way to keep your smile healthy. Your dentist in
Lakewood,
Dr. Vinnie,
can examine your mouth for any problem areas, and then one of our skilled
dental hygienists will give your pearly whites a thorough polishing. If it has
been more than six months since your last dental checkup and cleaning,
give us a call today
to schedule an appointment. Keep reading to learn more about how these visits
work and how they can benefit your health.
Why Choose Lakewood Complete Dentistry for Dental Checkups and Cleanings?
- Perfect for the Whole Family
- Stop Small Problems from Becoming Major Headaches
- Kind, Compassionate, and Gentle Team
What Happens During a Typical Checkup?
For the first portion of your appointment, Dr. Vinnie will give you a dental exam in Lakewood. He will completely examine your teeth, gums, tongue, existing dental work, and other essential oral structures for any areas of concern. Many oral health problems don’t display symptoms until irreversible damage has already been done, so these visits are crucial in preventing issues like cavities and gum disease from wreaking havoc.
Even Dr. Vinnie’s trained eyes can’t catch every little problem that occurs in your mouth. That’s why we’ll usually take some x-rays as well. These digital images can help us discover problems that can’t be spotted with the eye alone, like decay between the teeth. They also allow us to examine the state of your jawbone and tooth roots, which are normally hidden beneath gum tissue. Once we’ve completed this section of your appointment, Dr. Vinnie will discuss his findings with you and, if need be, go over a personalized treatment plan to get your smile back on the right track.
What Happens During a Typical Cleaning?
Next comes your dental cleaning in Lakewood. Dr. Vinnie will hand you off to one of our dental hygienists after he’s done examining your teeth. The hygienist will use special tools to remove plaque and tartar from on your teeth and along your gumline. While plaque can be broken up by daily brushing and flossing, only a dental professional can remove it once it has hardened into tartar.
Next, the hygienist will use a high-powered toothbrush and dental floss to give your teeth a more thorough cleaning than you could using your tools at home. After that, they will polish your teeth using a special paste to remove stains from the surface of your teeth, leaving them shining a little brighter. Finally, we can apply a topical fluoride treatment to significantly decrease your risk of tooth decay in the future.
Why Are Regular Appointments So Important?
As mentioned earlier, you might not notice that you have any oral health problems until they cause discomfort or pain, and by that point, serious damage has already been done. By seeing your dentist in Lakewood at least twice a year, we can detect these issues before they become harmful. For example, we can find a small cavity and get it filled before the decay spreads to the sensitive center of the tooth and results in a severe toothache that warrants root canal therapy or a tooth extraction.
Regular dental cleanings are just as important in the grand scheme of things. Plaque and tartar contain bacteria that can result in oral infections like gum disease and cavities. Getting these substances removed every six months can save not just your oral health, but some research shows it can save your life. Gum disease in particular has been linked to higher risk of health problems like heart disease and diabetes. By getting your teeth cleaned and examined twice a year, you could be saving your life!