Dental exams and x-rays are important tools that we use to assess and maintain our patients’ oral health. By detecting problems early on, we can fix them much more easily and avoid our patients from getting more complicated and costly treatment alternatives.
Dental exams should generally take place every six months. We may suggest that you visit more frequently based on factors such as smoking, frequency of cavities and genetic susceptibility to tooth and root decay as well as gum disease.
A dental prophylaxis is a cleaning treatment performed to thoroughly clean the teeth.
We recommend that prophylaxis be performed twice annually as a preventative measure, but should be completed every 3-4 months for patients who have periodontal (gum) disease. While gum disease cannot be completely reversed, dental prophylaxis is one of the tools that can be used to effectively halt its progression.