Cleanings and Preventive Services in Massapequa

Dental cleanings are the cornerstone of our oral health. While it often slips to the back of our priority list, dental cleanings are more than just about our teeth. Studies show that patients with gum disease and poor oral health are more susceptible to heart disease. This is because the bacteria that is in our mouths can spread from the oral cavity all the way into the heart, leading to coronary heart disease. Without a proper cleaning schedule, the bacteria can multiply over time leading to the destruction of our gums, teeth and eventually possibly ones overall health. Other factors such as age and smoking further increase the risks of these adverse outcomes.

Dental cleanings also offer your dentist the ability to catch disease causing processes before they become worse. At each dental cleaning, the dentist will be able to monitor your oral health and watch out for cavities, bumps, sores or any other lesions which could potentially be serious. Without consistently getting your teeth checked, cavities can progressively get bigger and worse as well as tarter and plaque building up causing your gum health to deteriorate.

How Often Should I get a Dental Cleaning?

How often to get a dental cleaning is unique to each individual. At minimum, it is recommended to get a cleaning twice a year, or every 6 months. This recommendation is under the assumption the patient is already in good oral health, with minimal to no bleeding during routine teeth brushing, flosses regularly and has never been told they have signs of gum disease. While this is the ideal scenario for our patients, we realize that not everyone will fall into this category and there is no one size fits all model for dental care. Some may need 3-4 or even more per year, to maintain their oral health.

To make this situation more difficult is for those who are utilizing dental insurance or uninsured. The majority of dental plans will only cover two cleanings per year for the patient. That also includes only 2 dentist exams and x-rays at firm time intervals, which means that if you require cleanings, exams or x-rays more often, you will have to foot the bill even though you may have thought your plan would cover the procedures you need to maintain your dental health. The costs for cleanings and x-rays outside of your minimal insurance benefits can be several hundred dollars each, with a single cleaning costing $150 or more.

Our Philosophy

At Complete Dental Care of Long Island we firmly believe that there should be no restrictions on getting the care you need, especially by a third-party such as insurance companies who have never seen you or know anything about your particular oral health. We want you to feel and be treated by us as an individual rather than just a policy holder, which is why we do not directly participate with these restrictive insurance companies. Instead, we have created package deals that will benefit and bring value for each patient, no matter what their oral health is.

If you are indeed in top notch oral health, you can sign up for our basic package at $299 a year, for your basic needs of 2 cleanings, exams and x-rays similar to what you’d receive from an insurance provider. In addition to those, you will receive discounts for our already affordable dental treatment costs with no copays, deductibles or waiting periods. If we feel you could benefit from additional cleanings or services, we have our pro package available for only $499 a year for a limited time only. This includes unlimited dental cleanings, further discounts on dental work as well as a comprehensive oral cancer screening and whitening kit all included in that very affordable price. With the latter, there is absolutely no restrictions or waiting for insurance to deem it worthy for you to receive basic preventative care. You can simply sign up, and get the care you need when you need it at your convenience, not the insurance company’s.

Cleaning vs. Deep Cleanings

There is often some confusion as to what is considered a cleaning versus getting told we need a deep cleaning. A standard cleaning is one which we receive when we are not numbed up, and only cleans slightly below the gumline. Any tarter, plaque and calculus (hardened plaque) above the gumline is always removed. A deep cleaning is one which is suggested when you have signs of gum disease, which aims to clean accumulations of plaque and calculus that’s deep underneath the gumline and stop the process of gum disease from progressing. For this procedure, you will need to be numbed prior to being performed to ensure you are comfortable and is painless for you.

Signs you may need a deep cleaning include:

• Deep pockets of 4 millimeters or more (your gum levels will always be measured before this treatment is presented to you)
• Buildup of debris under the gumline, which can be seen on an x-ray
• Abnormal bleeding during routine cleaning or brushing.
• Severe buildup of calculus around your gums or on your teeth.
• Inflamed gums
• Bad breath or a unpleasant taste in your mouth that does not go away

The process for a deep cleaning includes first explaining to you if this is needed or benefit you. Then the deep cleaning is broken into 2 visits in which the right side is done one visit, the left another or vice versa. At each, the whole side is painlessly numbed with local anesthesia. Then the debris are gently scraped and flushed out, while also cleaning the teeth as well. After all sides are completed, it is standard for the patient to have their normal dental cleanings done every 3 months after, to maintain the gum health after the debris are removed. Once we are sure you are in optimal gum health again, you can switch back to every 6 months if you wish, or continue getting more frequent cleanings with our unlimited cleaning package to make sure your gum health will be consistent for years to come.

Insurance companies also create issues for those seeking deep cleaning treatments, by only covering this service once every few years. They also may or may not cover the maintenance cleaning schedule that is needed after getting a deep cleaning. Deep cleanings are charged by them based on which side or quadrant it is done such as upper right, lower right and so forth creating more confusion. We seek to eliminate any ambiguity, and charge a flat fee of $599 for the whole mouth, including any anesthesia, anti-microbial rinses and anything else required for your oral health. With us you can be rest assured you are getting optimal care without any of the hassles.