Teeth Cleaning and Checkups in Jersey City

A cleaning and checkup every six months is the single most useful thing you can do for your teeth. It catches decay while it is still a small filling, stops gum disease before it costs you bone, and keeps your teeth looking their best. This page explains what happens, how often you need it, and what it costs.

To book, call 201-425-8600 or request an appointment. We are at 115 Christopher Columbus Drive, Suite 200, two minutes from the Grove Street PATH.

What happens at a checkup and cleaning

Most visits take about an hour and follow the same pattern.

1. Catching up. Any changes to your health or medicines, and anything that has been bothering you.
2. The checkup. We examine each tooth for decay and cracks, check your fillings and crowns, measure your gums for signs of gum disease, check your bite, and look over your tongue, cheeks and throat for anything that should not be there.
3. X-rays, when they are due. Not at every visit. How often depends on your risk of decay and gum disease.
4. The cleaning. The hygienist removes the hard tartar a toothbrush cannot shift, from above and just below the gum line, then polishes off surface stain.
5. Advice for your mouth. Where the brush is missing, what to use between your teeth, and anything we want to keep an eye on.

If anything needs treatment, we explain what we found, show you on the x-ray or a photograph, and tell you what it costs before anything is booked.

How often you need one

For most people, every six months. That is often enough to catch decay and gum problems while they are small, and it matches what most insurance plans cover.

Some people need to come more often: every three or four months if you have had gum disease, and sometimes during pregnancy, with diabetes, if you smoke, or while you are wearing braces. We will tell you which applies to you, and why.

A regular cleaning or a deep cleaning?

A regular cleaning is for healthy gums, or gums with mild inflammation. It removes tartar above and just below the gum line.

A deep cleaning, properly called scaling and root planing, is for gum disease that has formed pockets between the gums and teeth. It cleans the root surfaces well below the gum line, is done under local anesthetic, and is often split over two visits. We only recommend it when your gum measurements and x-rays show it is needed, and we will show you the numbers. More on gum disease treatment.

Does a cleaning hurt?

For healthy gums, a cleaning is mostly a little scraping and some pressure. Inflamed gums are more tender and may bleed, and if a lot of tartar has built up since the last visit it takes longer. Sensitive teeth can twinge with the cold water spray. Tell us, and we can go slower.

After your cleaning

Your gums may feel a little tender, and bleed slightly when you brush, for a day or two, particularly if they were inflamed. That is normal and settles quickly. Keep brushing and flossing gently. If soreness lasts longer than a few days, or you notice swelling, call us.

You can usually eat and drink straight away. If fluoride varnish was applied, we will tell you how long to wait.

What it costs

With dental insurance: most PPO plans cover two checkups and cleanings a year, often in full, with x-rays covered on a schedule. We check your plan before your visit, file the claim for you, and tell you in advance if anything will not be covered.

Without insurance: you pay for the visit directly, and we tell you the cost when you book, as far as we can before we have seen you. We accept cash, checks, most major credit and debit cards, and CareCredit.

We take most major PPO plans. We do not take Medicaid, state plans or DHMO plans. See insurance and payment.

Children

Children’s checkups follow the same pattern, adapted to their age, with fluoride varnish and sealants where they help. See children’s dentistry.

Dr. Meetu Singal earned her Doctorate in Dental Surgery at the New York University College of Dentistry and treats her own patients, so the dentist who checks your teeth is the one who knows your history. More about the practice.

We see patients from across downtown Jersey City, including Grove Street, Exchange Place and Paulus Hook. If you have toothache or a broken tooth, see emergency dental care.