The Smile Shoppe has a team of outstanding dental hygienists who always have your dental health in mind. Their knowledge and experience will be very evident throughout every aspect of your dental hygiene visit. Our hygienists pride themselves in being gentle, yet thorough. Whether your needs are simple and you are in for a "routine" hygiene appointment, or you need help getting your gums back in shape, rest assured that your hygiene team member will treat you with the utmost care and compassion.
Routine Recare Appointment
The purpose of a routine recare appointment is to help you maintain a healthy mouth by preventing future problems and identifying issues that are starting to form before they become major setbacks. The standard recommendation is to visit your dentist every six months for your hygiene appointment.
At your appointment, your hygienist may take x-rays of your teeth and sometimes your mouth & jaw as the doctor feels necessary. Next, the hygienist will take measurements to check for the presence of gum disease. In the absence of periodontal disease, a cleaning (or scaling) of the teeth will be done to remove stains, plaque, and calculus (tartar).
At every hygiene appointment your hygienist will perform a thorough head, neck, and mouth exam to check for abnormalities and oral or other cancers. The Velscope light may be offered to you to see certain areas not visible to the naked eye.
Finally, your teeth will be polished and a fluoride varnish will be offered to you to further protect your teeth from decay.
Oral hygiene home care instructions are provided for free at every appointment because proper brushing and flossing technique is necessary to keep your mouth healthy through the year.
Periodontal Treatment
Sometimes with age, genetics, and improper or inadequate dental hygiene, a periodontal cleaning or "deep cleaning" is necessary. Evidence of the presence of periodontal disease is found through the measurement of bone height. If your hygienist is doing a periodontal examination and you hear numbers over 'three', you might have periodontal disease. Bleeding of the gums is not normal, and is a further sign of gum disease.
If you are diagnosed with periodontal disease, your provider will help you get back on the road to dental health. Sometimes a more thorough cleaning will be required when periodontal disease is present or if it has been a long time since your last cleaning, and your provider may recommend that you come in for a cleaning more frequently than every six months. BUT, no worries! Your dentist and dental hygienist will discuss a personal treatment plan, tailored to your unique needs.