Cleanings and Examinations

Many people wonder if making it to their semi-annual dental appointment is really necessary.

The short answer is—yes!

Good preventive care helps reduce your risk for certain illnesses and can help you achieve and maintain the level of excellent oral health that lets you look and feel your best.

Providing Your Medical History

Your routine visits are an excellent opportunity to tell us about any issues or discomfort you’ve been experiencing in your mouth. You’ll also want to give a detailed description of your medical history and come prepared with a list of any medications you take.

Knowing your medical history allows us to gain a better understanding of your overall health. After all, there is a systemic link between your oral health and the prevalence of many serious health concerns. For example, periodontitis (advanced gum disease) is associated with heart disease, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and low birth weight in babies born to mothers with the disease.

Examinations

Symptoms of some dental conditions may be so subtle that only a dentist can identify them.

During your visit, we thoroughly examine your mouth and check for signs of tooth decay. We also evaluate you for risk factors associated with illnesses like bone loss and periodontal disease. This way, potential problems can be identified in their early stages while they are easily treatable.

Your dentist will also check your bite and may take x-rays or recommend other diagnostic measures.

Teeth Cleaning

During your visit, we will clean your teeth gently and professionally. Our dental team meticulously removes hard-to-reach plaque. At this time, we may also give you tips on how to improve your at-home care routine, and your hygienist can show you proper procedures for brushing and flossing.

A thorough teeth cleaning not only helps improve your oral health but also makes them look great! A good cleaning can also have a whitening effect on your smile. Your cleaning will leave you looking and feeling great.

Schedule an Appointment Today!

Don’t miss your semi-annual visit! Contact our office and schedule an appointment.

I can’t imagine where I would be if I didn’t meet her

“Dr. Costigan was a life saver! I can’t imagine where I would be if I didn’t meet her. I broke my jaw in an ATV accident and I needed dental implants and if she wasn’t the prosthodontist who took care of me, I’m not sure the outcome would have been the same. She made me feel comfortable, confident, and most of all, optimistic about the outcome. I drove 3 hours for my procedure and it was worth the trip every time. I wouldn’t have gone to anyone else for my dental work. I highly recommend her.”

- G. R.

See More Testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you take care of all my dental needs?

Chestnut Oak Dental focuses on providing the services that we do best: restorative and preventive dentistry. We fix damaged teeth and replace missing teeth with various solutions, including bonding (tooth-colored fillings), crowns, bridges, veneers, implants, and dentures.

We take care of most dental needs that arise on a day-to-day basis and are here to educate you on the importance of healthy teeth and gums and solutions to dental problems. Each patient is different.

While we strive to provide most of the care you need here in our office, we will refer you for treatment with outstanding dental specialists in the area when that is in your best interest. We work with specialists and consultants who share our focus on optimal outcomes and patient satisfaction.

If you have questions about our dentistry, we encourage you to reach out to a helpful team member today.

Do I really need to have dental x-rays?

While many dental issues can be diagnosed with a visual exam, dentists cannot always see what is happening beneath your protective tooth enamel, between your teeth, or below your gumline. Digital dental x-rays make this possible and allow us to make an earlier diagnosis, potentially saving you time and money by allowing us to treat conditions before they become critical or painful.

By offering digital dental x-rays in Cold Spring, we have significantly improved the safety of the care we provide. Digital dental x-rays emit up to 80 percent less radiation than traditional x-rays and give us instant access to high-resolution images for proper diagnosis of conditions such as bone loss, decay, and infection.

If you have questions about the necessity or safety of dental x-rays, we encourage you to call or ask at your next appointment.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Mary Costigan

Dr. Mary Costigan has been in the dental field for almost three decades. After working as a dental assistant, she pursued her dream to become a dentist and graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1999. She completed her general practice residency at the Manhattan Veterans Administration Medical Center. She trained at the Manhattan Veterans Administration’s Program for Prosthodontics and became a prosthodontist, a dentist who specializes in the restoration and replacement of teeth. After finishing the program, she began working in private practice. She later completed advanced ...