Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings – Kittanning, PA
Keeping Your Teeth
in Top Shape
Every patient is different, which means that every mouth is different. When you choose to visit our dental office for dental checkups and teeth cleanings in Kittanning, PA, you can be confident that you’ll receive a personalized treatment plan from your dentist.
Why Choose Voller Dentistry, PC for Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings?
- Sedation for Nervous & Anxious Patients
- State of the Art Diagnostic Technology
- Dentist with 40+ Years of Experience
Do I Need a Checkup & Teeth Cleaning?
No matter what, each plan will need to include dental checkups and teeth cleanings. According to the American Dental Association, patients should be receiving dental exams and professional cleanings at least every six months.
During these dental checkups, your dentist becomes a partner helping to keep your smile whole and healthy, working right along with you to prevent common oral health conditions. If something of concern arises, your dentist can detect and diagnose these issues in their earliest stages.
Regular preventive dental checkups and teeth cleanings are the best way to maintain your healthiest smile for years and years. If it’s been six months or longer since your last dental checkup, it’s time to call Voller Dentistry, PC to receive the care your smile truly needs. As mentioned above, a dentist-patient relationship is a partnership, working to achieve better oral health. With our partnership, you can expect to receive regular diagnostics, dental exams/screenings, deep cleanings, and a personalized treatment plan.
Diagnostics
The beginning of your preventive appointment will always begin by gathering diagnostic images. These digital images and X-rays allow us to clearly see the whole smile, and we can share these images with you to help you better understand any oral health concerns and develop your treatment plan. By viewing diagnostic X-rays and images on chairside monitors, you will have a much better understanding of your own oral health. You’ll be able to work side by side with your dentist to create a customized dental treatment plan that fits your lifestyle and budget.
Examinations & Screenings
Once we’ve captured a few dental X-rays of your mouth, the dentist will carefully examine your smile visually and manually. This time is used for screening for warning signs of common oral health conditions including:
- Tooth decay
- Gum disease
- Chronic teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction
- Oral cancer
Professional Teeth Cleanings
A skilled hygienist will thoroughly clean your teeth and below the gum line during this portion of the appointment. Even the most thorough daily brushers and flossers can miss small crevices in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. Your professional cleaning will ensure there is no undetected plaque or tartar buildup, helping to prevent tooth decay and other dental concerns.
Personalized Dental Treatment Plans
This may be the most important part of your preventive care appointment. We’ll sit down with patients one on one to discuss any oral health concerns we uncovered, carefully explain all of the possible treatments, and create a plan to achieve and maintain their healthiest smiles going forward. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and use this time to address concerns.
Regular dental appointments will save you the added expense of more advanced treatments by keeping your smile healthy from the beginning. In addition to diagnosing common oral health concerns, many overall health conditions have oral symptoms, and dentists may be able to diagnose these conditions in the early stages. Call our dental office today to schedule your next visit.
Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings FAQs
How often do I need to visit the dentist for a dental checkup and cleaning?
The American Dental Association recommends scheduling a checkup and cleaning every six months. That way, your dentist can periodically look for common oral health problems, like tooth decay, and your dental hygienist can remove built-up plaque and tartar. With all of that said, there are some cases when patients are asked to come in more frequently. For example, in the year following periodontal therapy, more frequent appointments are necessary (usually every three months instead of every six).
What should I do if I need a dental checkup and cleaning, but I’m too afraid to go to the dentist?
Do you feel worried, stressed, or nervous leading up to your routine visits? Maybe negative emotions like these have prevented you from scheduling an appointment altogether. Whatever the case may be, we have good news: we offer nitrous oxide sedation and oral conscious sedation at our Kittanning office. These calming solutions can alleviate anxiety so you can have the positive experience you deserve while getting the preventive care you need.
How much does a dental checkup and cleaning cost without insurance?
As you may already know, dental insurance providers typically cover 100% of the cost of essential preventive care, including biannual checkups and cleanings. But what if you are uninsured? If you’re paying out-of-pocket, the cost is usually between $75 and $200. That said, our patients usually opt to make the price more affordable by joining our Voller Value Plan, which includes two routine cleanings, one emergency exam, 50% off teeth whitening, and several other perks. You can also break up the cost into smaller, more manageable chunks with CareCredit, if you’d prefer.
When should I take my child to the dentist for the first time?
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, parents should schedule their child’s first visit around their first birthday (or sooner, if their first tooth emerges before that). Not only does this help them get familiar with their dental team, but it also allows Dr. Voller to answer any questions you have about their growing smile and how to take care of it at home.
What should I do if I have sensitive teeth and find dental cleanings uncomfortable?
The best thing to do is let your dental hygienist know! That way, they can be extra gentle around the areas of your mouth that are more sensitive. Nitrous oxide is also a great option for patients who struggle with discomfort, a sensitive gag reflex, or head/neck/jaw pain in the treatment chair. If you are interested in learning more about this form of dental sedation, including how it works and if you’re a good candidate, give us a call.
Why do dentists recommend fluoride treatment after dental cleanings?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is known to help strengthen the dental enamel. So, if you struggle with dental sensitivity, you’re prone to decay, or you simply want to reduce your risk of dental trouble, your dentist will recommend a fluoride treatment following your dental cleaning. Usually, it only takes a second to apply and a few minutes to complete.
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