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Examinations

Better Image Dentistry takes your oral health seriously – so your visit with a hygienist is never just a “routine cleaning”! Your hygiene visit is an extremely important part of your care and a critical step to achieving long-term oral health.

Your dental hygiene visit consists of two main parts. The examination (checkup) portion of your visit includes a health history update, and a soft-tissue/oral cancer screening. During this portion of your dental hygiene visit, Dr. Fairweather and/or the hygienist will:

  • Examine your bite and your TMJ (temporomandibular joint)
  • Examine your entire mouth and look for any signs of disease, particularly caries (cavities) and periodontal (gum) disease
  • Take any necessary  Digital X-rays so that we can see the 75% of your mouth that lies hidden to the naked eye
  • Discuss the findings with you thoroughly before any treatment is begun. 

We encourage you to ask as many questions as you feel necessary so that you thoroughly understand what is being recommended and why.

The prophylaxis (polishing and scaling above the gum-line) portion of your visit will be provided by a hygienist in conjunction with Dr. Fairweather.

  • First, your hygienist will remove hard deposits on your teeth (tartar/calculus) by hand and/or ultrasonic instrumentation.
  • Next, the soft deposits (plaque) and superficial stains will be removed by polishing your teeth.
  • Throughout your visit your hygienist will provide personalized home care instructions and oral care recommendations.
  • Since everyone is susceptible to cavities, we strongly recommend fluoride treatments to all our patients.

Dr. Fairweather and your hygienist will prescribe the best interval for your dental and periodontal needs – usually three, four or six months. Although you may be used to having hygiene visits every six months, this is actually not the ideal interval between dental examinations for many patients.

We know that your visit with our hygienist will be a pleasant, personally rewarding experience. To schedule your dental examination today, please contact us.