CHECKUP AND CLEANING

Checkup and Cleaning 

Regular dental checkups and professional dental cleanings may be routine, but they're also very powerful. They let us protect your oral health, identify problems in their early stages, and provide guidance to avoid future problems. There may be no better investment in your oral and overall health than making regular dental checkups — they can repay your time and cost many times over. We take a non-judgemental approach to oral health--we want to collect data and use that data to develop a roadmap to your best oral health. We also offer sedation dentistry if dental anxiety is a barrier to your oral health care.  

The ADA recommends that most Australians see their dentist every six months for checkups and cleanings. If you're overdue or looking to schedule your next dental checkup in Hawkesbury, please call (02) 4501 7930 or book an appointment today at Riverlands Dental in North Richmond.

Oral Hygiene: A Team Sport

Achieving your best oral health requires that we work together. You perform your daily oral hygiene, and we perform comprehensive cleanings every six months. These two cleanings combine to keep your teeth healthy.  

For your daily hygiene, you should brush at least twice daily and floss every day. You should brush and floss before bedtime, because your natural prevention mechanisms diminish overnight. Brushing in the morning is good for the same reason. The goal of your hygiene is to remove dental plaque, a combination of food residue and oral bacteria, which bond together and cling to your teeth. Brushing can remove plaque from most surfaces of the tooth, but only flossing can reach the areas between teeth and below the gumline. 

Even the most expert brushers and flossers can miss some plaque. Missed plaque absorbs minerals from saliva (ironically there to help repair damaged teeth) and harden. The process is similar to fossilization, and the result is a rock-hard deposit called tartar or dental calculus that brushing and flossing can't remove. As these deposits grow, they become shelters for bacteria, allowing their population to expand and increasing your risk for gum disease and tooth decay.  

At your professional cleaning, we'll remove tartar and polish your teeth. Polishing smooths the surface of your teeth so that bacteria and stains have a harder time sticking. 
  • Does It Matter What Toothpaste or Toothbrush I Use?

    A little. Most people should use a fluoride toothpaste that won't scrape your teeth too much. Look for an RDA value of 60 or less. Overall, manual and electric toothbrushes work just as well, but if you're not getting good results with a manual brush, consider switching to electric.

  • Does Flossing Really Make a Difference?

    Yes! Flossing can significantly improve your oral health. We know this because we’ve seen it. Research is limited, though, because money drives research and there isn't much money in flossing. To get the best results from flossing, use a style of floss that works for you.

Benefits of Regular Dental Checkups 

The other part of your regular dental visit is a checkup that lets us look for potential problems. We will utilize advanced detection technology like DIAGNOdent, a laser cavity detection system that can find cavities that are hard to spot with the eye, including large cavities with small openings. Early detection of cavities means that they can often be treated without fillings. We can use air abrasion to remove surface problems. And minor adjustments in diet and hygiene can reverse some problems. 

Your checkup is an opportunity to evaluate the current state of any dental restorations. We can make sure these are still attractive and functional. 

We'll examine the health of your gums, perform an oral cancer screening, and assess your bite for problems such as temporomandibular joint disorders (called TMJ or TMD).  

We'll also talk to you about your diet and other lifestyle factors that can contribute to oral health risks.  Together, we can work on a plan to establish, maintain, or restore oral health.

Looking for Dental Care in Hawkesbury?

Are you overdue for a regular dental checkup in Hawkesbury? Whether you're new to the area or looking for a new dentist, we'd love to welcome you to our practice. Please call (02) 4501 7930 or book an appointment today at Riverlands Dental in North Richmond.
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