Dental Checkup and Cleaning
Whether it's been a while since you've been to the dentist or keep a regular cadence every 6 months, this is your standard dental visit and our most popular type of appointment!
A dental health examination (“dental checkup”) and standard cleanings are recommended twice a year for most patients. While the exam and cleaning are two independent procedures, we know our patients have busy lives, and no one wants to be in a dental office more often than needed. Therefore, we always strive to provide both services in the same appointment. That way, for patients without any other dental procedures required, it's just a single 45 to 60-minute appointment every 6 months!
What is included in a new patient checkup and cleaning at The Ivory Dental?
For New Patients, we provide a comprehensive dental examination, including a complete set of dental X-rays and a standard dental cleaning. In detail, here's what's typically offered for each 60-minute new patient appointment:
Patient welcome and seated in your private room
Perform a panoramic dental x-ray for a wide “zoomed out" view of your mouth. This type of X-ray helps our staff quickly identify your previous dental work, missing teeth, incoming adult teeth (for children), and wisdom teeth issues.
Perform a set of smaller intraoral X-rays for detailed "zoomed-in" views of specific teeth to help diagnose potential cavities, fractures, or buildup that need to be cleaned out.
Discussion and examination with Dr. Yu regarding dental issues, history, or any questions you may have.
Preparation and presentation of a dental treatment plan to include the set of recommended procedures (typically preventative procedures, but also restorative or cosmetic work if requested) – this document will also account for your dental insurance and show applicable discounts and copays to help you make an informed decision before proceeding with any procedures.
Provide a standard dental cleaning – typically, within the same appointment, our dental hygienist will provide a dental cleaning (deep cleanings may need to be re-scheduled to accommodate the timing for other patients) and also provide any observations or tips on your dental hygiene habits.
Some new patients may be interested in same-day restorative procedures (such as dental fillings) or cosmetic services like Invisalign teeth straightening consultations – which we will offer if our schedule allows without interfering with other patients.
For patients concerned about x-ray exposure and radiation levels, please ask us for our equipment and procedure details so we can provide you with information and allow you to make an informed decision. We have an X-ray waiver form you can sign anytime to skip X-rays if you or a guardian chooses.
What is a checkup and cleaning like for existing patients?
As a return patient, your routine checkups and cleanings will have the same level of care. However, we won't need to spend as much time understanding your dental history or taking a full set of x-rays. These appointments typically take 30 to 45 minutes, including the regular dental cleaning.
For existing patients, you can expect your checkups and cleanings to include the following:
Patient welcome and seating in a private room
Check if anything new is bothering you or giving you dental issues so we may address it
Offer to take preventative x-rays (typically just 4 quick and small ones on the molar teeth) – we recommend these every 6 months so Dr. Yu can monitor for any changes from the last visits and because the molars would be the most common area for new decay or buildup. These are taken to catch any issues early before they need a major procedure.
Provide a standard dental cleaning; our dental hygienist will provide a dental cleaning and any observations or tips on your dental hygiene habits.
What if you don’t need a dental cleaning?
If you recently got a dental cleaning and don't need one so soon, or perhaps you have other dental concerns or cosmetic procedures, you'd like to focus on – we can certainly schedule a new patient appointment without the cleaning. In fact, since the combined checkup and cleaning appointment is our most popular, we can often schedule you sooner within the same day or week if you don't need a dental cleaning immediately.
What if you don’t want dental x-rays taken?
We can also skip x-rays as needed based on your request. Our staff recommends intraoral X-rays at least once a year so an accurate diagnosis can be made. However, if you have medical or personal reasons you prefer to skip them, we can accommodate that. We have a consent form for you to read and sign to confirm your understanding of the reasons and potential risks before proceeding with the appointment. If you have any questions – please contact us!
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