At a glance
Preventive dentistry is the care that keeps small problems from becoming painful or costly ones: checkups and cleanings, gum disease treatment, oral cancer checks, fluoride, sealants and custom guards.
At Richmond Dental Care we see adults, seniors and children from their first tooth (around age 1). Most preventive visits take one appointment, and Saturday visits are available from 9am to 3pm.
What does preventive dentistry include?
Prevention is more than a polish twice a year. It means finding cavities while they are still small, catching gum disease before it loosens teeth, and protecting teeth from grinding and sports injuries. Each service below has its own page with what to expect, cost and aftercare, and our full list of services covers restorative and cosmetic care too.
| Service | What it does | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Dental exams and cleaning | Checkup, X-rays as needed and a cleaning to remove plaque and tartar | Everyone, from age 1 |
| Scaling and root planing | Deep cleaning below the gumline for gum disease | Adults with gum pockets or bone loss |
| Periodontal treatment | Full gum disease care: diagnosis, deep cleaning and maintenance visits | Adults with bleeding, receding or loose-feeling gums |
| Oral cancer screening | Look-and-feel check of the mouth, tongue, throat and neck at your exam | Adults at every checkup |
| Fluoride treatment | Varnish that strengthens enamel against cavities | Kids from the first tooth; adults at higher cavity risk |
| Dental sealants | Thin coating that seals the grooves of back teeth | Kids and teens as molars come in; some adults |
| Night guards | Custom guard that protects teeth from grinding and clenching | Adults who grind or wake with jaw soreness |
| Sports mouth guards | Custom guard that cushions teeth during sports | Athletes in contact and fast-moving sports |
Why is gum health such a big part of prevention?
Gum disease often starts without pain. The first signs are gums that bleed when you brush or floss, bad breath that doesn’t go away, or gums that look puffy or red. Caught early, it can usually be turned around with a professional cleaning and better home care.
Left alone, it can destroy the bone that holds teeth in place. That is why we measure your gums at checkups and treat gum disease in our office with scaling and root planing and regular maintenance visits.
How often should you come in?
Most people do well with a checkup and cleaning about every six months. If you’ve had gum disease, we usually suggest maintenance visits every 3–4 months. Children can start seeing us once their first tooth comes in, around age 1. We’ll suggest a schedule based on what we find, not a one-size-fits-all rule.
What about children?
For kids, prevention starts with exams, cleanings, fluoride and sealants from the first tooth. As a family practice we also treat cavities with fillings and do extractions here, and refer to a pediatric dentist only if a child needs to be sedated for treatment. We accept Texas Medicaid and CHIP for children through DentaQuest, MCNA and UHC Dental.
What does preventive care cost?
New patients can start with our new-patient prices: $49 limited exam with panoramic X-ray, $99 comprehensive exam with X-rays, $179 comprehensive exam, X-rays and basic cleaning. For other preventive services, we give you a written estimate before treatment. We work with most PPO plans and check your benefits before your visit, so you know what is covered. We also accept Medicare Advantage plans that include dental benefits. For children, we accept Texas Medicaid and CHIP through DentaQuest, MCNA and UHC Dental; we are not in network for adult Medicaid. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover routine dental care. See insurance we accept.
We accept Cherry, Sunbit and CareCredit for patient financing (see financing options), and you can use an FSA or HSA card for dental treatment.
When to call us
Call us if your gums bleed often, you notice a sore in your mouth that hasn’t healed in two weeks, a tooth is sensitive or chipped, or it’s been more than a year since your last cleaning. Call (832) 612-2831 — we’re open Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 9am–3pm.
Frequently asked questions
Many PPO plans cover checkups and cleanings as preventive care, but each plan is different. We check your benefits before your visit and tell you what to expect.
Yes. Adults with dry mouth, receding gums or frequent cavities can benefit from fluoride, and sealants can help adult back teeth that have deep grooves and no fillings.
We see children from their first tooth, around age 1, for exams, cleanings, fluoride and sealants. If your child needs a filling or extraction, we can do that here too.
Yes. We see patients for cleanings and checkups on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm, as well as Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Book online or call us.