General dentistry in Merrick, NY

Preventive care is the foundation for everything else we do. A dental cleaning removes the plaque and tartar that brushing misses, polishes the teeth and gives us a close look at your gums. An examination by a dentist at the same visit checks every tooth for decay, wear and cracks, screens the soft tissues of the mouth and reviews your bite. Digital X-rays show what the eye cannot: decay between teeth, the health of the bone around each root and the position of teeth that have not yet come in. They use a low dose and appear on screen within seconds, so we can walk you through them together.

The two services differ in purpose. The cleaning treats and prevents; the X-rays diagnose and plan. Most patients have both at a routine visit, with X-rays taken at intervals a dentist sets for you rather than every time. Preventive advice is part of each visit as well: brushing and flossing technique, diet, dry mouth, grinding and anything else that affects your teeth between appointments.