Teeth Whitening - Richmond, VA

Lasting Health Starts with a Healthy Routine

Preventive Care: More than Teeth Cleaning

Have you been skipping your routine dental appointments because you don’t see any problems with your teeth? We recommend you contact our dental team in Richmond, VA! Teeth cleaning appointments are considered preventive dental care and also involve an oral examination with our prosthodontist, X-rays, and oral cancer screenings. Routine teeth cleanings in Richmond, VA can catch early signs of infection, decay, or disease that you may overlook during your at-home hygiene care and allow us to provide timely and targeted treatment when necessary. Overall, the goal of these appointments is to ensure you have a functional, healthy smile and in turn, maintain lasting oral and overall health!

What to Expect at Your Hygiene Visit

Your teeth cleaning appointment at Commonwealth Prosthodontics will take about an hour. Patients generally do not experience pain or discomfort during their visit; however, we do offer sedation solutions to put those with dental anxiety at ease. If you have generally good oral health, we recommend you visit our office in Richmond, VA for teeth cleanings every six months. However, if you have been treated for gum disease, it’s important that you schedule appointments every 3-4 months for a dental deep cleaning. In general, you can expect your visit to follow these steps:

Discussion

During the first phase of your appointment, we encourage you to discuss dental issues or tooth pain you may be experiencing as well as any interest you have in improving the cosmetic appearance of your teeth. We’ll be able to address these issues or smile goals during your appointment or may need to schedule a future visit to complete the recommended procedures.

Examination

You’ll receive an oral exam where we will check for signs of gum disease and tooth decay. This includes examining the pocket depth of your gums and looking for dark spots on the teeth or areas of tartar buildup. We’ll also perform an oral cancer screening by evaluating the color and texture of your oral tissues. If you are due for x-rays, we will take them at this time and our prosthodontist will carefully examine any suspicious areas in your mouth found on these images.

Dental Cleaning

Your dental hygienist will use special tools called dental scalers to remove the plaque and tartar on and between your teeth and along your gumline. Even if you brush and floss your teeth regularly, this tartar can still build up on your teeth and can only be removed with a professional teeth cleaning.

Polishing

Using a handheld electric toothbrush, our hygienist will then polish your teeth with a gritty prophylaxis paste. This process helps gently scrub your teeth clean and remove any stains and leftover tartar. The paste we use comes in multiple flavors, including mint, which is similar in taste to regular toothpaste. Once your teeth are clean, our hygienist will gently floss your teeth.

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Life

It might be easy to overlook your dental cleaning every six months, but the benefits affect more than your smile. Your oral health is considered a window to your overall health. Problems like tooth decay, missing teeth, and gum disease can all lead to more serious problems if not addressed at a routine appointment. Similarly, regular visits to our prosthodontist in Richmond, VA ensure that potential issues are treated quickly or prevented altogether. No matter how long it has been since your last teeth cleaning, or what shape your smile is in, we welcome you to our office to experience our comprehensive and affordable dental care. We accept multiple leading insurance providers to make receiving this care as convenient and simple as possible. Our team can help you maintain a healthy, beautiful, and functional smile for life!

In need of a dental cleaning?

Schedule your hygiene appointment today.