Welcome to a family dental clinic with the widest variety of services in the Lacey / Olympia and Centralia / Chehalis areas. Understanding your oral health needs begins with a thorough dental exam and initial consultation.

You should be checked and cleaned twice per year, or more frequent if directed by the dental hygienist. Regular exams and cleanings are essential in maintaining the health of your gums and teeth, and in discovering any dental problems early before they become too serious.

At your twice yearly visits your teeth are cleaned and checked for cavities along with other important things that are checked and monitored to help maintain your dental health.

These include:

• Medical history review: Keeping us apprised of any current medical conditions, new medications, or illnesses gives us better insight to your overall health and also your dental health.
• Examination of diagnostic x-rays: These are important for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, or bone loss. X-rays also help determine the position of teeth and roots.
• Oral cancer screening: Regular checking of your lips, tongue, throat, tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer is an important step in early detection.
• Gum disease evaluation: Check the gums and bone around the teeth for any signs of periodontal disease helps address any problems at an early stage.
• Detection of tooth decay: All of the surfaces of your teeth will be checked for decay with special dental instruments.
• Examination of existing restorations: Your current fillings, crowns and other dental work is examined to make sure they are in good shape.
• Removal of calculus (tartar): Calculus is hardened plaque that has firmly attached to the surface of your teeth. This forms above and below the gum line, and can only be removed with special dental instruments.
• Removal of plaque: Plaque is a film that forms on your teeth. It’s a growing colony of living bacteria and food debris. The bacteria produce toxins (poisons) that inflame the gums and contributed to dental diseases of many kinds.
• Teeth polishing: This removes the stain and plaque that is not normally removed during tooth-brushing.
• Oral hygiene recommendations: Your dental hygienist will recommend any oral hygiene aids as needed (electric dental toothbrushes, special cleaning aids, fluorides, rinses, etc.).

As you can see, a good dental exam and cleaning involves more than just checking for cavities and cleaning your teeth. It’s a critical thorough process to maintaining good overall dental health.