Do I really need an examination each time I have a cleaning?

In an ideal world the answer is yes, but in the real world when we place patients on a 3 month recall , we do not insist that they have a dentist examination for each cleaning. Dental insurance usually only allows two exams per year and often only covers two cleanings per year as well. Often, to encourage our patients who need more frequent cleanings, we do not insist that they have more than two examinations each year. If the hygienist does see something out of the ordinary she will suggest that I come in to examine the problem, but most times my examination is not required.

I certainly encourage people to have a dental examination at least once per year, since often dental problems do not hurt initially. If patients wait to see the dentist until they are in pain, they may have problems that are harder to fix and may make a root canal or the loss of a tooth  more likely