As professionals themselves, our doctors understand that many who work in the Cambridge area are trying to maintain a happy work/life balance. Professionals like you know you need to come in every 6 months for a dental cleaning. But actually fitting those appointments into your schedule can be more easily said than done. Between meetings, work travel, and special events for the kids, it’s hard to put yourself first and take care of your own dental needs.
That’s exactly why our doctors at Cambridge’s Dental Restorative Group like to remind our patients that a bi-annual dental cleaning really doesn’t take that much time. If you’re willing to sacrifice just one lunch break every six months, you can come in during your lunch hour, get your teeth professionally cleaned and examined by one of our doctors, and get back to the office in less than 60 minutes.
How is this possible? Let us tell you what a teeth cleaning actual involves, and how quickly it can be performed.
- The Baseline Examination by One of Our Dental Hygienist
When a Cambridge dental patient comes into our office for a tooth cleaning, the first step is having his or her mouth briefly examined by one of our dental hygienists. This allows him or her to look for any tooth sensitivity, gum inflammation, or plaque and tartar that needs to be scraped off. Your dental hygienist will take notes of your mouth’s condition so when you meet with one of our doctors, he or she has a thorough understanding of the state of your mouth before your teeth were cleaned.
- Taking X-Rays to Reveal Any Underlying Issues That Might Be Occurring
One of the quickest – but very important – steps of a teeth cleaning is getting X-rays taken. When it comes to teeth, not all issues can be seen by the naked eye. Dental X-rays can reveal if you have tooth decay (also known as cavities) in those hard to see, in between spaces of your teeth.
- Removing Plaque and Tartar
This is the teeth cleaning step that most Cambridge patients are familiar with – scraping off plaque and tartar. The exact amount of time this will take varies depending on how much tartar needs to be scraped off a patient’s teeth.
- Brushing, Flossing, and Rinsing
No trip to a dentist would be complete without brushing and flossing, would it? Afterward, your dental hygienist will rinse your mouth out, too.
- A Thorough Dental Examination by One of Our Doctors
One of our doctors will inspect your mouth, your dental X-rays, and the notes that your dental hygienist took regarding the initial presentation of your mouth. Together, this information will inform our doctors on whether or not any tooth decay exists, there’s a sensitive tooth that needs to be addressed, or you have another dental issue for which we need to schedule a follow up appointment.
Yes, a Dental Cleaning Really Is That Quick!
With just 5 steps, it’s completely possible for you to walk out of your office, get your teeth cleaned, and be back before anyone even realizes you took your lunch break. Best of yet, you’ll return back to work with teeth that are cleaner, as well as more knowledge about the state of your dental health and how to best preserve or improve it.
To schedule a dental cleaning over your lunch break, simply call Cambridge’s Dental Restorative Group today at (617) 492-5081.
