When you have finished your cleaning and examination appointment with your hygienist, we usually discuss when you are going to come back for your next dental cleaning.
How do we decide “how long”? Why are patients often confused or don’t understand?
There was a time, long ago and far away, that you were told to come back once a year for your “cleaning”appointment. Then dentists and dental researchers looked at the dental health of all their patients. They discovered a yearly visit was not enough to maintain the health of your gums and teeth. With all the research gathered in the last 10 years, we now know that coming in for a cleaning appointment every 3 months has been very effective in slowing down or preventing gum disease. We are able to eliminate bacteria BEFORE they can actually damage the tissue and surrounding teeth. It is also well known in medicine that a healthy mouth reduces the risk of heart disease later in life.
Many patients are now ready to focus on a healthy lifestyle. Prevention is the key. In this dental office, we focus on your health. We want to make sure your health is as good as it can be, for you. We want to help you maintain your oral health as well as your overall general health. If you have some type of insurance coverage, we do not have control of what your insurance will cover. We will submit estimates to your insurance company if your coverage is unclear to you. We are always happy to help you with financial arrangements in this office, if you need them. It is never a problem.