Exams & Cleanings in Bethlehem, PA

An exam and cleaning at Always About Smiles, our Bethlehem, PA dental office, is a comprehensive examination that I run out loud with you and my assistant, so you hear and see what I find as I find it, together with a hygienist's cleaning. We offer our patients of all ages a comprehensive dental wellness program.

I examine with my assistant charting beside me and call out what I see as I go, tooth by tooth, so you hear and see the whole thing rather than a summary at the end. The easiest way to understand a problem is for me to show you in your mouth what has happened and our options to correct it. I don't sell dentistry. I educate the patient. By the time I sit you up, you already know what I found, which tooth it was, and what I'd do about it — and you've had the chance to ask while I was still looking at it.

Our hygienists provide gentle, thorough cleanings that remove the plaque build-up that normal brushing misses. With the use of the Cavi-Med Ultrasonic cleaner the hygienist is able to comfortably remove even the toughest plaque from above and below the gum line. One thing our patients really appreciate is that we tend not to lecture them about taking better care of their teeth and gums. Instead we work with them to establish an oral health routine that fits into their lifestyle.

What you eat and drink, and how often, does more to your teeth than how hard you brush. Nutritional counseling is offered at the practice, and it isn't a leaflet — we sit down with what you actually eat and drink through a normal day and work out a food plan you'd realistically keep to. We also provide the education to equip them to make healthy choices regarding their oral health.

I examine first, then a hygienist cleans. I conduct a thorough comprehensive examination of your teeth and gums including a review of your dental and medical history, an oral cancer screening, and any necessary diagnostic x-rays. The fiber optic transillumination device allows us to diagnose and treat issues when they are small, before they begin to cause pain or significant tooth structure damage.

The comprehensive exam and the cleaning are quoted separately, and you'll have both figures before the appointment. Our in-house Patient Loyalty Program is often the better route. It's better than insurance: benefits are available immediately on signup, you receive substantial savings on all your dental care, and there are no yearly maximums, deductibles, copays, waiting periods, claim denials or endless paperwork. Call us at (610) 868-9928 for details.

Your periodic exam and cleaning takes about an hour. Your first visit is different: it's dedicated to the comprehensive examination, your medical history, x-rays and our findings, and you leave with a detailed treatment plan and estimate. We don't clean at the first visit, because until we know the condition of your gums we can't know how much time your cleaning needs. A routine cleaning takes an hour, gingivitis treatment is usually two one-hour visits, and deep scaling and root planing is done a quarter of the mouth at a time. Treatment starts at your second visit.

Gums that bleed are usually inflamed, and inflamed gums are more tender than healthy ones — which the hygienist works around rather than through. The Cavi-Med ultrasonic cleaner does much of the work that used to be done by scraping, a numbing gel is available for tender areas, and you can stop the appointment at any point by raising a hand.

That's set for you rather than for everybody. The services recommended by us for you and the frequency of those professional recare visits depends on your individual condition. Those visits may be every 2, 3, 4, or even 6 months apart depending on your oral health. I prescribe your interval at the examination and revisit it as your gums change.

Yes. We'll meet you where you are dentally, no matter how long it's been. The first visit is a comprehensive examination and x-rays, then we talk through what I found and I give you a treatment plan — nothing is treated that day unless you're in pain. Taking the visits in the right order means a proper diagnosis, care that's efficient and affordable, and small problems handled before they grow, from the foundation and any emergencies all the way through cosmetic work. We will never make a patient feel embarrassed about their dental needs, and seek to understand and treat patients as special individuals.