Dental Exam and Cleaning
Our Services
Dental Exam
We provide on-site care in the comfort of your home, nursing home or retirement community. Our dentist and master dental technician come to you – wherever you are. Avoid crowded waiting rooms and lengthy and challenging travel arrangements. We are equipped with portable technology and systems that allow us to provide at-home or on-site exams. Our handheld digital x-ray unit makes it possible to thoroughly diagnose your teeth and supporting bone in different living environments. We work exclusively with the geriatric and special needs communities, and residential homes in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. The geriatric population is at a much greater risk of oral health issues and disease. Pain, widespread tooth decay, infection, abscesses, and ill-fitting dentures are common issues we see with new patients. Left untreated, these issues may seriously impact the overall health and in some cases lead to hospitalizations.
A dental exam is a checkup of your teeth and gums. Dental exams are usually recommended every six months. These exams are important for Monitoring and protecting oral health. Dental x-rays are images that can show cavities, bone loss, and other problems that can’t be seen by just looking inside the mouth.
During the exam the dentist will evaluate your teeth, gums and oral tissues. She will check the way the top and bottom teeth fit together and perform an oral cancer screening. This includes feeling under your jaw, checking the insides of your lips, the sides of your tongue, and the roof and floor of your mouth.
Dental Cleaning
Dental prophylaxis is a procedure that is important to keep your gums and teeth clean and healthy. Most dental professionals follow a similar routine when performing a dental cleaning.
First, depending on how much buildup is present, either a manual tool called a hand scaler or ultrasonic scaler is used to remove plaque and tartar from the surface of the teeth, between the teeth, and near the gum line. A hand scaler feels like scraping on the teeth and the ultrasonic scaler creates vibrations and sprays water to remove deposits.
Next, the teeth are polished with a handheld electric tool with a soft spinning rubber cup at the tip. The cup is filled with special gritty toothpaste called prophylaxis paste which helps remove tooth stains.
Lastly, the teeth are flossed and fluoride varnish is applied to them with a small brush in order to help prevent cavities.
Regular teeth brushing and flossing at home can help prevent large deposits of plaque and tartar from accumulating on the teeth. However, getting a professional dental cleaning done at least every six months is essential to remove the deposits which persist despite your daily efforts.
Denture Cleaning
Dentures should be professionally cleaned yearly. Professional denture cleanings can remove more persistent stains that your home care cannot remove. Over time, dentures can build up calculus or become stained, just as natural teeth can. When this happens, it can be difficult to get them clean again on your own. We have the equipment necessary to remove stubborn calculus and stains from your dentures. Professional denture cleaning and polishing will eliminate most stains and tartar buildup on dentures and denture teeth.