Your Child's First Dental Visit: When to Go and How to Prepare
Book your child's first dental visit by their first birthday or within six months of the first tooth. Here's what happens and how to make it a good experience.
Brightside Dental Journal
Friendly, dentist-reviewed guides to healthier smiles for the whole family.
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How Often Should You See a Dentist? A Plain-English Guide
Most adults need a check-up every six months, but your ideal interval depends on your gum health, decay risk and history. Here's how to tell.
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Preventive care
Everyday habits and check-ups that keep problems away.
Treatments
What to expect from common dental procedures.
Kids' dental health
Guides for parents, from first tooth to braces.
Latest articles
Scaling and Polishing: What to Expect at Your Appointment
A step-by-step look at a dental scale and polish, how long it takes, whether it hurts, and how to keep your teeth cleaner between visits.
From the glossary
- Plaque
- Plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that builds up on teeth every day. Brushing and flossing remove it before it hardens into tartar.
- Scaling
- Scaling is a professional cleaning that removes tartar from the teeth above and below the gumline, usually followed by polishing.
- Tartar
- Tartar (dental calculus) is plaque that has hardened on the teeth. It can only be removed by a dentist or hygienist during scaling.