Your teeth can serve you for a lifetime, but do you know the perfect recipe for a lasting smile? It involves more than your toothbrush and floss. You should also see your dentist in Agawam at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. If you are like many people, you may think you don’t need an appointment until after a problem occurs, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Routine care allows Dr. Michitti to monitor your oral health to detect certain issues early while also stopping common problems from developing before they even have a chance to start. You can invest in a lasting, healthy smile by visiting our dental office twice a year.
Although your toothbrush and floss are important for keeping your teeth and gums healthy, they are not enough. Routine dental care allows us to remove harmful buildup that can lead to preventable issues, like tooth decay and gum disease. In addition to a good cleaning, we also perform a comprehensive checkup.
Dr. Michitti monitors your oral health to detect any concerning areas early to provide quick intervention. This lessens the need for a costly treatment down the road. In fact, research shows every $1 spent on prevention can save you $8 to $50 on restorative and emergency care.
Even with the best brushing and flossing methods, there are still areas in your mouth you cannot clean at home. If plaque isn’t removed from these spaces, it calcifies and turns to tartar. This can infect your gum tissue, causing periodontal disease. You’ll also have a heightened risk of tooth decay.
Our dental hygienist uses special dental tools to remove any accumulations left behind by your toothbrush and floss. She also takes the time to polish your teeth, so you walk out of your appointment with a clean, beautiful smile.
Our hygienist takes the time to discuss your oral hygiene habits at home and makes recommendations to help you keep your mouth healthy in between your routine appointments. She may also perform additional preventive treatments, like a fluoride varnish.
Dr. Michitti takes the time to perform a comprehensive visual examination and uses digital x-rays to view areas of your mouth he can’t see from the surface. This gives him a complete picture of your oral health. He takes the time to check each tooth, your gingival tissue, and any past dental work to look for any suspicious areas. He also checks your bite, alignment, and soft tissues to look for potential concerns such as signs of oral cancer.
After the examination, he takes the time to go over his findings with you. Dr. Michitti will answer any questions you have while creating a personalized treatment plan to help you reach your oral health goals. With a team approach, you can rest assured you’re making the best choices for a lasting smile.
If it has been longer than 6 months since your last cleaning and checkup, don’t wait. Contact our dental office today to schedule an appointment.
The American Dental Association recommends seeing your provider every six months for a standard checkup and cleaning, but if it’s been a while since your last routine appointment, you might have questions. For example, it’s natural to wonder how long the assessment will likely take.
Typically, you can expect us to spend about 10 to 15 minutes examining your teeth, gums, and current dental work, such as fillings, crowns, or bridges, to ensure they’re in good condition. However, every patient is different, and your visit may be longer if our team finds issues requiring treatment.
Once we’ve examined your mouth, the second part of your visit involves professionally cleaning your teeth with special instruments designed to remove even the most stubborn plaque and tartar buildup. Again, the time it takes to complete this step can vary depending on your circumstances, but it usually takes no longer than 30 minutes.
If you require a deep cleaning due to gum disease, such as scaling and root planning, your treatment will likely be divided into two separate appointments to give your gums time to recover in between.
There are multiple types of dental X-rays and each comes with different recommendations for how frequently they should be taken, such as:
With that said, most patients can expect to get X-rays done at least once annually.
Although dental insurance can often be a simple and effective way to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for routine preventive care, including checkups and cleanings, we also understand that not everyone carries a policy.
Most people without coverage can expect to spend between $75 and $250 for these services in Agawam, depending on whether treatment is needed. For instance, if our team finds cavities or gum disease, you’ll be expected to pay for the procedures to address them.
If you’re concerned about affording routine dental care, you might benefit from a flexible payment plan through CareCredit. If your application is approved, these low- to no-interest options allow you to divide the cost of your visit into more manageable installments that can be easier on your budget.