We recommend that our patients and their family see our team for a checkup and cleaning once every six months. While this may seem like a minor procedure, but a dental exam can help protect your smile. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about dental checkups and what to expect from them.

Scheduling a Checkup Visit

When should you see our team for a checkup? For kids, we recommend an initial wellness visit at around age one, after the first baby tooth has arrived. When your children reach the age of two, we suggest a checkup and cleaning every six months. The same goes for adults too! The issues that threaten your oral health, such as tooth decay and gum disease, don’t form overnight. When you have an exam every six months, we are more likely to catch these concerns in the early stages, providing care before you even experience discomfort in some cases.

Examining Your Smile

When you sit down for an exam, we will ask you about your oral hygiene routines, possible symptoms, and how you feel about your smile. We then take a close look at your teeth and gums with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, so we can make a diagnosis with precision and accuracy. Our team looks for common issues like tooth decay, infection, gingivitis, and gum disease. We screen for oral cancer too, and can watch for signs of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). This helps protect smiles of all ages, and for kids this can lower the risk of dental anxiety and help them better understand the importance of caring for their smiles at a young age.

The Dental Cleaning

In addition to the exam portion of the visit, we will also conduct a dental cleaning. The cleaning process involves our team removing the layers of plaque and tartar from the teeth with an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool. The process only takes a few minutes and helps safeguard your smile against cavities, periodontal issues, bad breath, and teeth stains. We complete the procedure by polishing your teeth, which not only brightens your smile, but also makes it more difficult for plaque and tartar to accumulate before your next visit.

If you have any questions about how we safeguard smiles with a checkup and cleaning, or if you want to schedule one soon, then contact our team today to get started!

Learn More About Maintaining Good Oral Health

Our team wants to help you and your family enjoy good oral health with a dental exam and cleaning, so be sure you schedule one with us every six months. Schedule your appointment with Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO by calling 816-942-7669.