At Schaumburg Dental Studios, we see regular dental cleaning as an investment in your health. In our office, we call it “Continuing Care Appointments” because our service is much more than scraping plaque and flossing teeth. We partner with you to improve your oral hygiene and consequently your quality of life and your dazzling smile.
In our dental office, we believe that all patients should be fully aware of what our professionals are doing during each visit to SDS. Because of that, we will explain every step to you while it is happening and happily answer any additional questions you may have.
But if you’d like to do some research before your Schaumburg Dental Studio appointment, we have composed a “Dental Care Appointment itinerary”, if you will, for your use. (All of our dental hygienists are very passionate about what they do, so if they see a problem they can address, they will do so immediately which may affect the order this list is performed).
1) Blood Pressure
Once you are seated in one of our comfortable dental chairs, your highly trained dental hygienist will begin the appointment by taking your blood pressure. We do this routinely to check for any health issues that may have developed since your last visit to your primary doctor.
2) Medical History
Your hygienist will then go over your medical history and verify any changes. This is extremely important to prescribing you the correct medications. We want to ensure any prescriptions we give you do not adversely react with any of the medications you are already taking.
3) X-Rays
Any necessary x-rays will be taken at this time. SDS will take x-rays to check for cavities between teeth once a year and a full set of teeth and jaw x-rays once every three years. We will take additional x-rays if necessary.
4) Tooth Photo Shoot
The SDS team will then take digital photos of your teeth. We do this so that, if there are any problems or abnormalities, we can show them to you without trying to find the right angle of a handheld mirror. You’ll be able to see exactly where your toothbrush is missing or what your cavity looks like.
5) Periodontal Assessment
You dental hygienist will then conduct a periodontal assessment to determine the health of your gums. If we find evidence of periodontal disease, we will discuss the proper procedure moving forward and schedule your periodontal therapy appointment. If everything looks healthy, we will move on to plaque removal.
6) Plaque Removal
Next, your SDS dental hygienist will use a dual water and vibration tool, along with a small metal instrument, to remove calcified plaque from your teeth. By removing the plaque, the SDS professionals are reducing your risk of cavities and discomfort in the future. This also helps make your smile bigger and brighter.
7) Polishing
The hygienist will then polish your teeth with a lightly abrasive paste (that funky rubber toothbrush), which makes it more difficult for plaque to accumulate on your teeth between your appointments, keeping your mouth shining for longer.
8) Flossing and Home Care
Next, your dental hygienist will floss your teeth and go over your home care instructions. If you are having problems in any specific teeth/ mouth care areas, your SDS dental hygienist with work with you to find solutions that fit into your life.
9) Enter Dentist
Your dentist will then examine your teeth for signs of decay. Your SDS dentist will then test how your upper and lower teeth come together and they will look for evidence of tooth grinding or problems with the temporomandibular joint (the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull). If they find any problems during this step, they will supply you with various individualized solutions.
10) Soft Tissue Check
Your SDS dentist will also examine your neck, lymph glands, palate, and the soft tissues of your mouth (cheeks, tongue, lips, and floor of the mouth) for signs of infection or oral cancer. Unfortunately, oral cancer rates are on the rise due to its link to the HPV virus. To combat this, we have an advanced screening tool, called the Velscope, which allows Dr. Patel to see underneath the tissue for abnormalities. WE recommend having the enhanced screening done once a year for all adult patients.
11) SMILE!
schaumburg-dental-studio-smileOnce you are finished with your SDS cleaning you will have your LumiSmile photo taken so you can show off your Hollywood smile. We also suggest you schedule your next appointment before you leave the office and don’t forget to collect your free toothbrush, floss and toothpaste on your way out past our helpful and beautiful receptionists.
Coming to see us at Schaumburg Dental Studios regularly for a care appointment and checkup is just as important for your health as going to the gym or bathing. The state of your mouth, gums and teeth are not only imperative to eating, talking and smiling but additionally your dentist can identify other serious health problems through abnormalities in your mouth and teeth like early signs of decay, gum disease, oral cancer, or other dental problems and address them as soon as possible.
To schedule your next care appointment at our exceptional facilities, call Schaumburg Dental Studio today at (847) 558-2797 or Request a Dental Appointment.
