Hygiene Program in Cheshire CT

At Cheshire Dental Associates, we feel that one of the most important aspects for your dental health is a comprehensive and in-depth hygiene program – your cleaning appointment.

Your health is important to us, so we offer a comprehensive hygiene visit that goes beyond a simple “cleaning.”

What Happens at a Cleaning Appointment?

A typical hygiene recall visit includes:

• Scaling, polishing, and flossing (the traditional “cleaning”)
• Check of your periodontal (gum) status
• Radiographs (x-rays) if needed for a full and comprehensive diagnosis of dental decay, periodontal disease (gum disease), and other oral conditions
• Intraoral digital photography to check for any areas of concern
• In-depth oral cancer screening

Each visit also includes a comprehensive check by either Dr. Marandino or Dr. Fletcher.

By performing a thorough examination at each visit, problem areas can be identified early and remedied before major issues arise. We believe it’s much better to prevent problems than to treat them, and cleanings are an important step in that. Additionally, when we can identify a problem early, we can solve it faster and more easily. Waiting until problems are big and painful creates misery for you, and the treatment is usually more involved and more expensive.

Prevention appointments are cheap, quick, and simple. In fact, many dental insurance plans offer 100% coverage for dental cleanings and preventive visits. We are happy to check with your insurance to determine your coverage for preventive visits and cleanings.

I Brush and Floss Every Day. Do I Still Need a Dental Cleaning?

Absolutely.

We hear this question a lot. While we’re thrilled to hear that you are doing a great job keeping up with your home-care routine, it’s still important to get your regular cleaning and comprehensive exam.

For one thing, keep in mind that when you brush and floss, you’re really only spending a few minutes, and you’re using tools that are pretty effective but still fairly limited.

Your teeth are full of tiny nooks and crannies where bacteria can hide and plaque can build. Over time, this build-up can cause some real damage, even if your teeth look clean and healthy.

When you get a cleaning here at our Cheshire dental office, your hygienist will spend up to an hour carefully going over your teeth with specially designed instruments, removing every last trace of plaque and tartar from your teeth. Tartar is plaque that has hardened, and it can’t be removed with a toothbrush or dental floss. When tartar builds up beneath the gumline, the stage is set for periodontal disease, which is another important reason to keep up with your cleanings.

One way to think of this is the difference between vacuuming your living room rug and giving it a good cleaning with a rug shampooer. Regular vacuuming is important; it keeps mess to a minimum and keeps your carpet (and home) looking nice. But dust and dirt can become lodged in between the fibers, and you don’t even realize it until you give your rug a shampooing and see how much dirt is in the water you are sucking back up. Yuck!

That’s okay. Cheshire dentists Dr. Fletcher and Marandino (and the rest of our team) won’t judge you or make you feel bad. We just want to help you get back on track so that you can look great, feel great, and meet your healthcare goals.

If you are due for a checkup and hygiene visit, please do not hesitate to contact our Cheshire dental office to set up an appointment!