Do you feel the plaque building up on your teeth?
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How Often Should You Visit The Dentist For a Check-Up?
The standard recommendation is to visit twice a year for check-ups and cleanings. We travel to many of the schools in Libertyville, Gurnee, Mundelein, and Vernon Hills to speak about the importance of visiting the dentist every six months to maintain your teeth.
If you are a patient with dental implants, crowns, a high risk of periodontal/ gum disease, or a genetic predisposition for plaque build-up or cavities, you might need to visit our Libertyville dentist office more often for optimal care.
Important Reasons For Twice-Yearly Visits:
- To allow your dentist to check for problems that you might not see or feel, including early signs of decay.
- To treat any other oral health problems found (Generally, the earlier a problem is found, the more manageable it is.)
What Happens At The Typical Check-Up Appointment?
- Cleaning – Although home-based tooth brushing and flossing help remove plaque, only a professional cleaning – provided by the dentist or dental hygienist – can thoroughly clean your teeth and remove the hardened plaque (called calculus or tartar) that builds up on teeth. The hygienists use a series of metal hand instruments to clean your teeth.
- Polishing – After your teeth have been cleaned, they are polished to remove plaque and stains on the tooth surface. The polish contains an abrasive substance and fluoride and is applied using a small rotating rubber cup or brush attached to the dental handpiece.
- Prevention – The hygienist might offer additional instructions for you to follow at home based on the results of your exam. Don’t hesitate to ask us for instructions about brushing or flossing or general care questions about your teeth and gums.
- DIGITAL X-RAYS – We use DIGITAL X-RAYS, exposing our patients to less radiation than traditional X-rays. The dentist will consider your clinical examination, dental history, and risk for developing cavities in determining the frequency of X-rays.
- Treatment recommendations – If oral health problems are identified during your examination, the dentist will recommend the best next steps. These might include referral to another oral health care specialist, additional diagnostic tests, or advice to return for restoration work or additional oral health care.
We take pride in offering our patients the latest technology in dental care including:
- Digital Imaging: Allows us to create images of your mouth, as if the cosmetic procedures have been completed. We can then view these images together, and if necessary modify the image until it shows us exactly what you want.
- Velscope: Early oral cancer detection is now possible with the use of this technological advancement that can detect through the outer layer of the gums and into secondary layers where early oral cancers hide from the naked eye.
- THE INTRA-ORAL CAMERA: With a small camera shaped like a pen, it puts a live shot of your teeth and gums on a screen. This allows you to view your mouth exactly as the doctor sees it!
- Diode Laser: This small laser can help in the treatment of cold sores, canker sores, and make gum procedures painless
Contact us today to schedule an appointment at our Libertyville IL office.
Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss any aspect of your dental health or to talk about our creative financing options – no-one should be denied the proper dental care because of money. Please feel free browse our testimonials from patients all over lake county from Gurnee to Mundelein. We have been happy to serve the community for over 3o years.