Routine Dental Checkups and Cleanings

When you brush and floss your teeth, you’re cleaning away the film of plaque that has accumulated on them since the last time you brushed. Made of food particles, saliva, and oral bacteria, plaque is the most consistent threat to your oral health. If it remains on your teeth, it will quickly calcify, or harden, into a cement-like material (calculus) that cannot be removed with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and water.

During a preventive dental checkup and cleaning appointment, your hygienist will carefully clean away all traces of plaque and tartar, then polish your teeth to inhibit plaque buildup afterwards. Dr. Roberts will also perform a careful examination to check for signs of potential dental problems, as well as an oral cancer screening to inspect your oral tissues for abnormalities such as lumps, lesions, sores that do not heal, etc.

What Follows a Checkup and Cleaning?

Typically, we recommend attending a checkup and cleaning appointment at least once every six months. Combined with an effective dental hygiene routine at home, the preventive visits can help you avoid the more common issues that affect dental health. However, if your examination reveals a cause of concern, then Dr. Roberts will help you choose an appropriate course of action after helping you understand the nature of the issue.

Using digital X-rays, which emit up to 80 percent less radiation than traditional film-based images, we can produce a clear, digital picture of your teeth and oral structures. The image is produced immediately and projected onto a chairside monitor where we can enlarge the image for clarity without losing resolution. Digital X-rays help us provide more accurate diagnoses, and therefore more conservative treatment, and help us better educate patients about their unique dental health.

Is It Time for Your Next Checkup and Cleaning?

You should visit your dentist at least once every six months, or as often as recommended, to successfully keep your smile healthy. To schedule your next checkup and cleaning appointment, call our dental office in Baxter, MN, today at (218) 454-0523. Our office proudly serves the residents of Baxter, as well as Brainerd, Little Falls, Staples, Crosby-Ironton-Deerwood, and all surrounding communities.