FAQs about why dental checkups go hand in hand with excellent home care
Brushing and flossing your teeth daily is essential to keep your smile healthy. However, oral care needs do not stop there. It is also necessary to maintain regular visits at Newport Smiles. In part, our team, led by Dr. Aarti Puri, provides professional services that cannot be performed at home with standard oral care products. These services include routine oral exams and in-office cleaning.
Additionally, you may think your brushing and flossing techniques are more than adequate. Still, our professionals in Newport Beach, California, advise on better, more effective, and easier ways to keep your teeth, gums, and mouth clean and healthy.

How often should I visit the dentist?
You are a unique individual with one-of-a-kind needs, goals, and preferences. Dr. Puri will recommend regular visits that account for your personal needs and other factors specific to you and your situation. Generally, even the most healthy patients with no risk factors for gum disease, oral cancer, and other dental problems are advised to schedule their exams and professional cleanings twice yearly or every six months. Suppose you smoke or have other risk factors or existing diseases that need to be monitored. In that case, more appointments will likely be scheduled throughout the year to stay ahead of problems and to monitor how well oral care and other interventions are working to treat active conditions.
Why do I need to examine my mouth regularly?
You may think that your mouth is perfectly healthy. There are no noticeable signs of problems, and your teeth and gums still look good, right? The problem is that most oral conditions are incredibly insidious, especially in their earlier stages. Only the expertise of a professional like Dr. Puri can detect early-stage disease or decay that would otherwise go unnoticed and ignored. Detecting and resolving these problems can prevent bigger complications and even the loss of the affected teeth.
Will I need X-rays?
Possibly! We can only see so much with the unaided eye. Dr. Puri has invested in only the most advanced digital X-rays to overcome this limitation. These X-rays produce very clear images of the structures in your mouth. They also do so with a fraction of the radiation exposure associated with traditional film-based radiographs. X-rays may be ordered at intervals during regular checkups. Or, Dr. Puri may take X-rays to gain additional insights into a trouble area she may find during your exam.
If I clean my teeth at home, why do I need to do so?
Our team includes some very skilled and highly trained dental hygienists. They have the specific professional tools and techniques to effectively yet gently clean hard-to-reach spaces of stubborn plaque build-up. Plaque is destructive. It is constantly forming on the teeth. No amount of brushing and flossing can remove all of this sticky, bacterial film. When not removed, plaque builds up on the teeth and hardens to form tartar. No standard toothbrush, floss, or cleaning techniques can remove tartar. So, to reduce this risk factor for decay and gum disease, our hygienists’ specialized training and instruments are essential. As an added benefit, they remove surface stains, too, for a smile that gleams!
If it’s been longer than six months since your last appointment, contact Newport Smiles today. To speak with a Newport Beach, California team member, call (949) 353-5622.