Teeth Cleanings and Dental Checkups – Las Cruces, NM
Get a Clean, Healthy Smile Today!
Did you know your oral health relies on more than just your toothbrush and dental floss? The secret to a healthy smile also involves the preventive care you receive from your dentist. The American Dental Association recommends everyone has teeth cleanings and dental checkups with their Las Cruces, NM dentist at least twice a year. Although you may not feel the appointments are necessary, they are vital to keeping your teeth and gums healthy. By doing so, you reduce your long-term dental costs. At Painted Skies Dental Care, we provide the preventive services you need to develop a lifelong healthy smile.
Why Choose Painted Skies Dental Center for Teeth Cleanings & Dental Checkups?
- Clean, Comfortable Dental Office
- State-of-the-Art Technology
- Comprehensive Dental Services
Enjoy Personalized Care
During your appointment, we take the time to get to know you. Beside discussing your dental and medical history, we strive to build a trusted personal relationship with you to design treatment plans catering to your specific needs and your comfort level.
Complete Dental Cleaning
Although your toothbrush and floss are important for removing harmful food particles, bacteria, and plaque from your teeth, it is not enough. There are still areas in your mouth you cannot clean at home, like below the gum line. Plaque and tartar accumulate in these spaces, increasing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
To remove the buildup, you need a professional cleaning twice a year. Our friendly dental hygienist uses special tools to clean the areas you missed at home. Your teeth are also polished to give you a clean smile. She takes the time to discuss your oral hygiene routine and makes recommendations for improvement to keep your teeth and gums healthy in between appointments.
Comprehensive Dental Checkup
Monitoring your dental health allows Dr. Ray and Dr. Natalie to detect areas of concern sooner to provide quick intervention to prevent the problem from worsening, like areas of weakened enamel. In addition to checking the health of your teeth to look for cavities, fractures, and other issues, the health of your gums is also checked. Using probing, the depths of the pockets where the tissue meets your teeth is measured to look for signs of gum disease.
To monitor areas not visible to the naked eye, digital x-rays are taken. This provides a complete picture of your oral health to look for issues that may be brewing beneath the surface, like infections.
Your dentist also takes the time to look for signs of oral cancer, like rough patches, to detect cancerous or precancerous cells sooner. He will also check your bite and temporomandibular joint to look for any abnormalities that may impact your oral health or your quality of life.
After your exam, an individualized treatment plan is created to help you reach your oral health goals. In some cases, we may recommend additional preventive treatments, like a fluoride varnish or dental sealants to further help to protect your teeth.
Get a Healthy Smile Today!
From the moment you step into our dental office, we treat you like family while giving you the high-quality care you deserve. If it has been more than 6 months since your last cleaning and checkup, contact our dental office today to schedule your next visit.
Checkups & Cleanings FAQs
How long does a dental exam take?
A regular dental exam includes a visual inspection of your teeth, gums, tongue, and other oral tissues as well as an oral cancer screening, and Dr. Ortiz can typically complete one in about ten to fifteen minutes. During this process, our dentist will check for signs of decay and uneven enamel erosion and investigate any concerns you mention. Our team will also make sure to evaluate any existing dental work like crowns, bridges, dentures, and fillings to make sure they are still working well. Based on our dentist’s findings, we may recommend additional treatments to address issues like gum disease or TMJ issues. In some cases, one patient’s exam may take more or less time than that of another due to differences in their oral health needs.
How long does a regular dental cleaning take?
If we don’t find any signs of gum disease during your exam and you visit our office every six months, you will probably only need a regular dental cleaning that will probably take about thirty minutes. However, advanced gum disease may make a treatment called a deep cleaning necessary, and this process normally requires two appointments. The best way to make sure your dental cleaning isn’t especially long is to practice excellent oral hygiene at home while limiting your intake of sugars and acids and visiting our office in Las Cruces regularly for checkups.
What’s the difference between a regular dental cleaning and a deep cleaning?
Regular dental cleanings can usually be completed by dental hygienists without local anesthetics, and the process usually takes about fifteen to thirty minutes. However, poor oral hygiene and eating habits and neglecting to visit our office regularly for checkups can make more intensive cleaning procedures necessary. In some cases, a patient may need a debridement cleaning designed to eliminate large deposits of plaque and tartar, and this usually involves local anesthetics and takes about thirty minutes to complete. However, advanced gum infections will probably require deep cleaning, which is also called scaling and root planing. This treatment typically takes two appointments to complete, and patients can expect to receive anesthesia during the process.
What factors can lengthen my regular dental appointment?
Most routine dental visits are booked for either one hour or an hour and a half depending on whether the patient is new or existing. Your checkup may take more time than expected if you have especially large deposits of plaque and tartar or Dr. Ortiz detects issues that need to be treated. Your appointment may also last longer if you’d like to consult with Dr. Ortiz about your candidacy for a certain treatment. The best way to make sure your dental appointment doesn’t take too much time is to make smart eating decisions while practicing excellent daily oral hygiene habits.