Maintain a Healthy Smile
Brushing your teeth and flossing at home is a great way to keep your teeth healthy. However, even if you maintain excellent oral hygiene at home, it’s still essential to visit our practice for a routine cleaning and examination at least twice a year.
These visits allow us to clean your teeth and monitor your mouth on an ongoing basis to ensure your smile stays beautiful.
Learn what to expect during a routine teeth cleaning appointment with Dr. Bassford.
Preventive Dentistry
As the name implies, preventive dentistry focuses on preventing oral health issues so you can avoid costly and invasive treatments down the line. Routine cleanings and examinations are the foundation of preventive dentistry, offering our dentists the best chance to detect any issues.
When you visit our Silver Spring dental practice for a cleaning, one of our hygienists will use special dental tools to gently remove plaque and other bacteria from your teeth. These tools allow us to clean parts of your mouth that are hard to reach with a toothbrush, helping to prevent cavities and gum disease.
Once your teeth are clean and sparkling, Dr. Bassford will carefully examine your mouth for signs of any oral health problems. In the event that an issue is detected, she’ll work with you on a treatment plan that will restore your smile to optimal health.
X-rays
At least once a year, our team will take x-rays of your whole mouth. X-rays give Dr. Bassford the ability to examine your teeth in greater detail and detect problems that may not be visible to the naked eye.
For example, x-rays may allow her to spot a cavity that’s just started to develop — as a result, we can stop the decay in its tracks before it spreads throughout your smile and causes further issues.
In the interest of our patients’ health and safety, we use digital x-rays at our practice. This advanced technology provides high-quality images that can be shared immediately to a screen, so you can follow along with what Dr. Bassford sees. Best of all, digital x-rays reduce your radiation exposure by up to 90%.
Oral Cancer Screening
One of the most important services provided during a routine checkup is oral cancer screening. Oral cancer is a deadly disease that often goes undetected until it’s too late, resulting in thousands of deaths every year.
The best way to increase your chances of surviving oral cancer is early intervention, which is why we perform these screenings during checkups. By examining your mouth for signs of the disease on a regular basis, we can significantly reduce the risk of it spreading out of control.
Visit Dr. Bassford For Routine Cleanings
If you want your smile to stay fresh and clean, don’t skip your routine dental appointments. These biannual visits are fast, minimally invasive, and will help ensure that your smile lights up the room wherever you go.
Call our Silver Spring, MD office at (301) 593-5500 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bassford. We look forward to meeting you!
Frequently Asked Questions
For most patients, we recommend scheduling a routine checkup every six months, or twice a year. If you’re especially prone to cavities or other dental problems, Dr. Bassford may recommend that you come in more often. It’s crucial that you don’t skip these visits or your oral health can suffer significantly.
Generally speaking, dental cleanings and exams are the most likely procedure to be covered by dental insurance. Depending on your plan and provider, you may even get the full cost of your checkup covered in many cases. Don’t hesitate to contact your insurance provider or ask a member of our team if you have any questions.
Yes! No matter how thorough your oral hygiene routine is at home, bacteria can still build up in hard-to-reach areas of your mouth. These bacteria eventually harden into a sticky substance called plaque that sticks to your teeth and often leads to oral infections. Not to mention, some serious dental issues like gum disease or oral cancer may go unnoticed without regular exams.
Using specialized dental tools, our hygienists will rid your teeth of harmful bacteria to preserve your health. In addition, Dr. Bassford will perform a thorough visual examination and look at x-rays if necessary to ensure your smile stays beautiful for many years to come.