Services
Preventive Dentistry
Two visits a year, a cleaning and an exam each time. It's the least dramatic thing dentistry does and the main reason most patients never need anything more involved.
What happens at a cleaning and exam
A hygienist removes plaque and tartar that a toothbrush can't reach, particularly along and just below the gumline, then polishes the teeth. Dr. Ali follows with an exam, checking each tooth for decay, looking at the gums for inflammation or recession, and screening the soft tissue of the mouth, tongue, and throat. X-rays are taken periodically, not every visit, to catch decay between teeth or below the gumline that isn't visible otherwise.
Why 'nothing hurts' isn't the same as 'nothing's wrong'
Tooth decay and early gum disease are both notorious for being painless in their early stages. By the time either one causes pain, it has often progressed to needing a filling larger than it would have been, a root canal instead of a filling, or a deeper gum treatment instead of a simple cleaning. Twice-a-year visits exist mainly to catch that window before it closes.
How often to come in
Twice a year is the standard interval for most patients and a reasonable default without a specific reason to do otherwise. It's a starting point, not a rule. Someone with a history of gum disease, frequent cavities, or certain medical conditions may benefit from more frequent visits, and a patient with consistently clean checkups might be fine stretching slightly longer. Dr. Ali adjusts the recommendation based on what she's seeing in your mouth over time.
Between visits
- Brush twice daily for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, and don't rinse the paste away immediately afterward.
- Floss once a day. Cleanings remove plaque a brush missed, but flossing is what keeps it from building back up between visits.
- Limit how often, not just how much, you sip sugary or acidic drinks. Frequent small exposures do more damage than one larger one.
- Call sooner than your next scheduled visit if you notice bleeding gums, a new sensitivity, or a change that doesn't resolve in a week or two.