Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings – Brookfield, WI
The Key To Staying Cavity-Free
While brushing and flossing on a daily basis go a long way toward preventing oral health issues like gum disease and cavities, these habits are only half the battle. To keep your mouth as healthy as possible, you also need to see a dentist for a dental checkup and teeth cleaning regularly. Here at Elmbrook Family Dental, we take a preventive approach to the health of your teeth and gums, ensuring your smile stays problem-free for years to come. If it has been too long since your last dental checkups and teeth cleanings in Brookfield, WI, call us today to schedule your next one with our skilled and caring dental team.
Why Choose Elmbrook Family Dental for Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings?
- Kind & Experienced Dental Hygiene Team
- Clean, State-of-the-Art Dental Office
- Accepts Most Dental Insurance
What to Expect During Your Dental Checkup and Teeth Cleaning
The first portion of your appointment is the preventive dental checkup. You’ll meet with one of our dentists, who will thoroughly examine your teeth, gums, existing dental work, and other oral structures. We might also take X-rays to detect problems that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Using their findings, the dentist will develop a personalized treatment and maintenance plan to help you keep your smile healthy in the long term.
The second part of your visit is the teeth cleaning. One of our dental hygienists will use special instruments to remove any plaque and tartar that have accumulated on your teeth and gums. After getting rid of these harmful substances, they’ll polish your teeth, dissolving surface stains to give them a nice bright sheen.
How Often Do You Need a Dental Checkup?
For most people, it’s recommended you see your dentist twice a year for a checkup and cleaning. However, if you have a history of poor oral health, you might need to visit us more often. Other reasons for more frequent appointments include:
- Tobacco use
- Pregnancy, which increases the risk of gum disease
- Cancer treatment
- Certain health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or heart disease
After you come in for your initial visit, our dentists can determine how often you need to attend checkups based on your unique oral health needs.
Why Are These Visits Important?
Although at-home brushing and flossing are essential habits, there are areas of your mouth that they can’t reach. Plaque can then develop in these spots and eventually harden into tartar, which is full of bacteria that contribute to oral health issues like gum disease and tooth decay. Brushing and flossing every day can effectively prevent plaque from hardening, but once it has become tartar, only a dentist or hygienist can remove it. That’s why seeing us at regular intervals is important to your oral health.
Additionally, many dental health issues like cavities don’t create symptoms like pain until serious damage has already been done. By attending checkups at least every six months, we’re more likely to catch potential problems while they’re still relatively easy to treat. In the case of oral cancer, detecting issues early enough could even save your life.
Can Regular Dental Checkups Save You Money?
If you don’t get even a small cavity treated in a timely manner, it can sometimes cause irreversible damage. The decay could reach the center of your tooth, resulting in the need for a root canal or even an extraction. Attending regular checkups makes it more likely that we’ll catch the cavity while all you need to treat it is a filling instead of these more costly and extensive procedures. Regular preventive care can save you both time and money in the long run. These appointments are just as beneficial for your wallet as they are for your smile.