Cleanings & Exams in Inglewood

The cleaning and exam is the visit everything else in dentistry stands on: it is where cavities are caught while they are still fillings, where gum disease is measured while it can still be reversed, and where small problems get small prices. At PhD Dental’s Inglewood office, that visit is built to be easy to start — a new-patient exam with a full set of x-rays is $69 without insurance, a basic cleaning with fluoride starts at $125, and our hours run until 7:30 PM Monday through Thursday and through Saturday, so keeping the twice-a-year rhythm does not require taking time off work. This page explains what actually happens at the visit, what it costs, how often to come in, and what to expect if it has been years.

What happens at a cleaning and exam visit?

The visit has two halves that work together. The cleaning removes what brushing and flossing cannot: the hygienist or dentist clears plaque and hardened tartar from the teeth — above the gumline and at its edge — then polishes the teeth smooth, and fluoride is applied to strengthen the enamel. The exam is the diagnostic half: the doctor checks each tooth for decay and failing older work, measures the gums for the pocketing that signals periodontal disease, looks at the soft tissues of the mouth, and reads your x-rays for what eyes cannot see — decay between teeth, infection at root tips, bone levels. You leave knowing where your mouth stands, in plain language: what is healthy, what is being watched, and what needs treatment, with any recommended treatment explained and priced in writing before you decide anything. A routine visit takes about an hour; a first visit with x-rays can take a little longer.

How much does it cost without insurance?

The two prices patients ask about are both published and both simple. An exam with a full set of x-rays costs $69 — the two are a package and cannot be unbundled, so the price is $69 even if you bring recent x-rays of your own. A basic cleaning starts at $125, and fluoride is included in that price. One honest qualification: the cleaning your mouth needs is set by the doctor’s diagnosis at the exam. If the exam shows healthy gums, the basic cleaning is the visit. If it shows periodontal disease, the cleaning your gums actually need is a deep cleaning — a different, treatment visit — and we explain that finding and its cost before anything is scheduled. With insurance, most PPO plans cover preventive visits strongly, and Medi-Cal covers an exam, cleaning, and fluoride for adults once every 12 months and for children every six months; we verify your benefits before your visit either way.

How often should I come in?

For most patients, every six months — that pace is what lets problems be found while they are still small, cheap, and painless to fix. It is a rhythm, though, not a rule for every mouth: patients with gum disease in their history, heavy tartar builders, and some medical situations do better on a three-to-four-month cycle, and your dentist recommends the schedule that fits your mouth at your visit. For Medi-Cal adults, the covered rhythm is once every 12 months; if you want a cleaning sooner than your covered date, you can still come in and pay for it directly — a basic cleaning with fluoride starts at $125 — and we will check the date of your last covered cleaning before you book, if you ask.

I haven’t seen a dentist in years. What should I expect?

A welcome, not a lecture. A large share of the patients who sit down in our Inglewood chairs are returning after years away — because of cost, because of moves, because of nerves — and the visit is designed to restart care, not to grade the gap. Expect the full picture taken fresh: exam, x-rays, gum measurements, and then a plan laid out in order of urgency, in writing, with costs, divided into what should not wait, what matters soon, and what can safely be scheduled later at your pace. Nothing about a long absence changes the prices above, and nothing obliges you to book the whole plan — you decide what happens and when, with the findings in front of you.

Common questions about cleanings and exams

Do you accept Medi-Cal for cleanings?

Yes. We accept Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal at this office, as at all eight PhD Dental offices. For adults, Medi-Cal covers one exam, one cleaning, and fluoride every 12 months; children and teens are covered every six months, with full dental coverage and no yearly dollar limit. Call us and we will check your coverage — and your last covered date — before you book.

Can I just get a cleaning without an exam?

The two belong together, because the exam is what establishes which cleaning your mouth needs. Most mouths need the regular cleaning; a mouth with periodontal disease needs a deep cleaning instead, and polishing over diseased gums would leave the actual problem untouched. The exam also catches the cavities and failing fillings a cleaning alone would sail past. It is a short step that protects the rest of the visit — and with the exam and x-rays at $69 as a package, it is priced to be started, not skipped.

Can I walk in for a cleaning?

Yes. Walk-ins are welcome at our Inglewood office. Patients with appointments are seen at their booked times, so there may be a wait, and booking ahead is the faster route — but if you are passing on Crenshaw with time to spare, come in and we will work you in as soon as we can. If you are in pain, say so: emergency patients are a priority, and we do our best to see them the same day.

How do I start?

Call (323) 529-6856 or book online. If you are new, your first visit is the $69 exam with full x-rays; if you are due and your gums are healthy, the cleaning usually happens at the same visit. Bring a photo ID and your insurance card if you have one, and a list of any medications you take.

Cleanings and exams in Inglewood and the communities around us

Preventive care at PhD Dental in Inglewood serves patients from across this part of Greater Los Angeles. Our closest neighbors — Lennox, Hawthorne, West Athens, Westmont, Del Aire, and Lawndale — are just minutes away, and we also see patients from Alondra Park, Gardena, Hyde Park, View Park-Windsor Hills, and Ladera Heights. From the South Bay and the beach cities, patients travel in from El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Playa Vista, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, and Culver City, and from the east we welcome patients from Watts and Carson. An office open until 7:30 PM on weeknights and on Saturdays makes the twice-a-year visit a calendar item, not a negotiation with your employer.

Book a cleaning and exam in Inglewood

Call our Inglewood office at (323) 529-6856 to book your cleaning and exam, or book online. Walk-ins are welcome. Find us at 11344 Crenshaw Blvd, Unit A, Inglewood, CA 90303, open Monday–Thursday 9:30 AM–7:30 PM, Friday 9:30 AM–6:30 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, Sunday closed.