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Dental Cleanings

The first time you come to our office our Dental Hygienist will assess your gum health. After that we will re-assess your gum health every 12 - 18 months.

 

There are 4 different types of cleanings that we perform in our office based off of your individual needs.

  • A regular "healthy mouth" cleaning

    • ​Most common for those that are up to date with their dental appointments: for most people this is a 6-month interval.

    • For thoes who want to know, the technical name for this is a "Prophylaxis", and the dental code is D1110 for adults, and D1120 for kids.

  • A "medium" cleaning

    • ​This is for those who have not been to the dentist for a while who (1) have a lot of buildup on their teeth and irritated gums but (2) do NOT have any bone loss (or at least very little bone loss).

    • The technical name for this ​is "Scaling in the Presence of Gingivitis" and the dental code for this is D4346

    • Generally, a "catch-up" cleaning is done about 6 weeks later to get any residue and to help the gums heal (a "Prophylaxis" cleaning)​​

  • ​A "deep cleaning"​

    • ​This is for those who have not been to the dentist for a while who (1) have a lot of buildup on their teeth and irritated gums and (2) DO have bone loss.​

    • When we have buildup on our teeth for extended periods of time the gums get irritated, but, more importantly, the bone actually disappears from around our teeth (moving away from the bacteria).

    • This bone loss is permanent (in almost all cases). In rare cases bone grafting can be done to try to get some bone back around the roots of the teeth.

    • To remove all the excess buildup that is deep under the gums we generally have to get the gums numb. We usually do this in two separate visits (one half of the mouth at a visit). The technical name for this is "Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing" and the dental code is D4341 or D4342 (depending on the number of teeth involved).

      • ​For a whole mouth the code D4341 would be submitted to insurance 4 times, once for each fourth of the mouth. This is so that if a person only needs 1/4 of their mouth deep cleaned they can have a lower fee than someone who has to have their whole mouth deep cleaned. This is not my system; it is how every office has to do it by law.​

    • ​After a deep cleaning is done "maintenance" cleanings are now needed (see below)

  • ​A "maintenance" cleaning​​

    • ​When bone is lost from around teeth, which is what made the deep cleaning necessary in the first place, there is now a pocket, or a permanent bacteria trap, between the gums and the tooth. This makes things harder to keep clean at home, and harder to get cleaned during dental visits.

    • For this reason, after a deep cleaning more frequent dental cleanings are now needed (usually every 3-4 months), and the dental cleaning now has a different name, and actually cost more.

    • The technical name is "Peroidontal Maintenance" and the dental code is D4910

  • Other types of cleanings​

    • There are actually more types of cleaings. If your bone loss is severe, we may refer you to a specalist (called a "Periodontist") for an exam and possible cleanings in their office.​

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For a lot of really detailed information on gum disease you can check out the American Dental Association website here

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