Cleanings and exams
Professional dental cleanings in midtown Sacramento
Brushing and flossing cannot remove tartar once it hardens. A professional cleaning every six months is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your teeth and gums healthy for life.
Why professional cleanings matter
A good home routine of brushing twice a day and flossing once a day is the foundation of oral health. It is not optional and it is not negotiable. But it is also not enough on its own. Plaque, the soft sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth, hardens into tartar within about 24 to 72 hours if it is not removed. Once tartar forms, no toothbrush, water flosser, or rinse can take it off. The only way to remove tartar is with the ultrasonic and hand instruments a dental hygienist uses during a professional cleaning.
Tartar matters because it is what drives gum disease. The bacteria living in tartar irritate the gums, cause bleeding and swelling, and over time eat away at the bone that holds your teeth in place. Cleanings interrupt that process. Patients who keep up with their cleanings rarely lose teeth to gum disease. Patients who skip them are the ones we eventually see in our periodontist's chair.
Cleanings also catch problems early. While your hygienist is working, your doctor is screening for cavities, cracked teeth, oral cancer, jaw issues, and the dozens of small things that are cheap to fix today and expensive to fix in two years. The cleaning is the appointment, but the exam is what saves you money over the long run.
Types of dental cleanings we offer
Not every cleaning is the same. The right type depends on the health of your gums, how long it has been since your last visit, and your overall risk profile. We will explain which type you need and why before we begin.
- Routine prophylaxis. The standard six month cleaning for patients with healthy gums and no active gum disease. Plaque, tartar, and surface stain are removed above and just below the gum line, followed by polishing and fluoride if indicated.
- Full mouth debridement. When tartar buildup is so heavy that the doctor cannot perform a thorough exam, we do a debridement first to remove the bulk of the buildup, then schedule a follow up for the actual cleaning and treatment plan.
- Scaling and root planing. A deeper, therapeutic cleaning for patients with active periodontitis. Bacteria and tartar are removed from the root surfaces below the gum line, usually with local anesthetic, often broken into two visits. Read more about gum disease treatment.
- Periodontal maintenance. Once you have been treated for gum disease, you stay on a more frequent recall, usually every three to four months, to keep the bacteria from coming back. This is not the same as a routine cleaning, even if it looks similar from the chair.
- Pediatric cleanings. Gentler, kid friendly cleanings paired with sealants and fluoride to set children up for a lifetime of healthy teeth. More on pediatric dentistry.
What to expect during your cleaning visit
A typical recall visit runs 45 to 60 minutes. New patient visits are longer, usually about 90 minutes, because we add comprehensive exam time and any imaging that is due.
- Health history review. Any new medications, conditions, or concerns since your last visit.
- Imaging if due. Bitewing X-rays every 12 to 24 months, or a full series every few years. Digital X-rays use a fraction of the radiation of older film systems.
- Periodontal evaluation. Your hygienist measures pocket depths around each tooth and notes any bleeding or recession. This is how we catch gum disease early.
- Cleaning. Ultrasonic scaling to break up tartar, hand instruments to clean below the gum line, polishing to remove surface stain, and fluoride varnish if appropriate.
- Doctor exam. A comprehensive check for decay, broken teeth, gum health, jaw issues, and oral cancer.
- Recommendations. Anything we found, anything we want to watch, and anything we recommend treating, in plain English with a written estimate.
How often you should come in
The familiar twice a year recommendation is a starting point, not a rule. Most adults with healthy gums and no active decay are fine on a six month recall. Patients in any of the following groups usually need to come in more often:
- History of periodontal disease, scaling and root planing, or gum surgery
- Heavy tartar or staining buildup between visits
- Smokers or vapers
- Diabetics, especially if blood sugar is not well controlled
- Pregnancy, due to hormonal changes that increase gum inflammation
- Dry mouth from medications, radiation, or autoimmune conditions
- Patients with dental implants, who benefit from more frequent monitoring of the soft tissue around the implant
We will recommend an interval that fits your situation. If your gums improve over time, the interval can stretch back out. The point is not to sell you visits. The point is to keep you out of trouble.
Brushing and flossing at home
Home care does most of the daily work. Cleanings handle what home care cannot. A few practical points your hygienist will reinforce in the chair:
- Brush twice a day for two minutes with a soft bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Two minutes is longer than most people think. A timer or an electric brush with a built in timer helps.
- Replace your toothbrush every three to four months or sooner if the bristles are fraying.
- Floss once a day, every day. The brand and the technique matter less than the habit. If you hate string floss, a water flosser is far better than nothing.
- Manual or electric is fine. Electric brushes have a small but real edge, especially for patients with limited dexterity, but a thoughtful manual brusher will outperform a careless electric one.
- Watch the snacks and drinks. Frequency of sugar exposure matters more than total quantity. Sipping a soda all afternoon does more damage than drinking the whole thing in five minutes.
Cost and insurance coverage
The good news on cleanings is that almost every dental insurance plan covers two routine cleanings per calendar year at 100% in network. We are in network with most major PPO plans, file claims directly, and verify your benefits before your visit so we can quote your out of pocket cost up front. For self pay patients, our cleaning, exam, and X-ray pricing is straightforward and posted on request. Financing is available through Cherry payment plans if you need to spread out the cost of additional treatment.
See accepted insurance plans or request your cleaning online.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The most common questions we get from new patients about cleanings.
How often should I get a professional cleaning?
For most healthy adults, every six months is the right interval. Patients with a history of gum disease, heavy tartar, smoking, diabetes, dry mouth, pregnancy, or dental implants may benefit from a three or four month schedule. We adjust your recall to match your actual risk, not a calendar default.
What happens during a dental cleaning?
Your hygienist removes plaque and hardened tartar from above and below the gum line using ultrasonic and hand instruments, polishes your teeth, and applies fluoride if appropriate. The doctor then performs a comprehensive exam and oral cancer screening. Most routine cleanings take 45 to 60 minutes from start to finish.
Do dental cleanings hurt?
For most patients, no. If your gums are inflamed or you have not been in for a while, you may feel some sensitivity around the gum line. We can use topical anesthetic, slow down, or break the cleaning across two visits if you need it. Tell your hygienist what you are feeling and we will adjust.
What is the difference between a regular cleaning and a deep cleaning?
A regular cleaning, called a prophylaxis, is for healthy gums that are not bleeding excessively or losing bone. A deep cleaning, called scaling and root planing, is a treatment for active periodontal disease and removes bacteria and tartar from the tooth roots below the gum line. Deep cleanings are usually done with local anesthetic, one or two quadrants at a time, and are followed up with periodontal maintenance visits every three to four months.
Why can I not just clean my teeth thoroughly at home?
Plaque is soft and can be removed with a toothbrush. Once plaque hardens into tartar, called calculus, it bonds to the tooth and can only be removed by a hygienist with specialized instruments. No amount of home brushing will get tartar off. That is the whole reason cleanings exist.
Are cleanings covered by insurance?
Yes. Almost every dental PPO plan covers two cleanings per year at 100% in network. We are in network with most major plans and verify your benefits before your visit so there are no surprises. See accepted insurance plans.
Get started
Time for your six month cleaning?
New patients are usually seen within a week. We verify insurance before you arrive and we never recommend treatment you do not actually need.