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Have Your Teeth Cleaned & Examined at Our Chelmsford Dental Office

Located 10-15 Minutes from Sudbury

Are you new to Chelmsford Family Dentistry? During your initial visit, a comprehensive dental exam will be performed by your dentist. For follow-up appointments, some of these examinations may be performed by your dentist, hygienist or both depending on your care needs.

Listed below are some of the procedures you may encounter during your first visit or a checkup:

• Examination of Diagnostic X-Rays (Radiographs) — Essential for detection of decay, tumours, cysts, and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
• Oral Cancer Screening — We will check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, tissues, and gums for any sign of oral cancer.
• Gum Disease Evaluation — We will check the gums and bone around the teeth for any sign of periodontal disease.
• Examination of Tooth Decay —All tooth surfaces will be checked for treatable decay or pre-decay that can be stopped.
• Examination of Existing Restorations — We will check current fillings, crowns, and other restorations.

These screenings can be done by our well-educated dental hygienists, but the actual treatment plans for each issue are created by your dentist.

Professional Dental Cleaning

Professional dental cleanings (dental prophylaxis) are usually performed by registered dental hygienists. Your cleaning appointment will include a dental exam and the following:

• Removal of Calculus (Tartar) — Calculus is hardened plaque that has been left on the tooth for some time and is now firmly attached to the tooth surface. Calculus forms above and below the gum line and can only be removed with special dental instruments.
• Removal of Plaque — Plaque is a sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the teeth. It is a growing colony of living bacteria, food debris, and saliva. The bacteria produce toxins (poisons) that inflame the gums. This inflammation is the start of periodontal disease!
• Teeth Polishing — During your tooth polishing session, we will remove stains and plaque that were otherwise not removed during tooth brushing and scaling.

What You Should Know about Dental Hygiene Clinics

Our team of dentists and dental hygienists work closely together to create the best treatment possible for our patients. The dental hygienists at our dental office work very closely with our expert dentists. Because our dentists are required to continually advance their education through continuous courses and dental reading requirements of monthly volumes of the latest research and techniques in health matters and dental technique improvements in all facets of dentistry, our dental hygienists are included in and privy to more advanced education information, unlike those at independent dental cleaning centres.

The dental hygienists in our dental office note areas of concern in advance of the dentist entering the room. Only the Doctor of Dental Surgery (dentist) has the education and legal authority to assess the condition of your mouth for need of dental treatment.

This is where you will note that a dental hygiene cleaning centre or independent clinic cannot and does not provide the same services that are performed by your dentist and dental hygienist in a dental office.

Be aware that once you have seen by a dental hygiene independent clinic, several fees will be charged. Following this payment by your dental insurance provider, your insurance will not pay for future dental office visits done by your dentist. The dental hygiene independent clinics offer limited forms of cleaning and “looking” in the mouth, but they cannot diagnose, determine or deliver treatment needs for patients. For that you must see your dentist and the dental team in a dental office. It is confusing but true in the ever changing world we now live in.

Schedule an Appointment

To schedule an appointment for you or your child, call Chelmsford Family Dentistry, today!