What is a check-up?

It is an examination of your mouth carried out with the idea of intercepting problems before they reach the level where pain may result.

Tooth decay is reversible when caught early – our aim is to detect it before permanent damage is done. Usually a check-up is every 6 months.

 

What happens at a check-up?

  • Ask about your general health and any problems you have had with your mouth, teeth and gums since your last visit.
  • Examine your teeth for signs of decay, cracks, fractures, erosion and wear. This is especially important where teeth already have fillings, crowns, etc.
  • Assess how well you are cleaning your teeth, and give you appropriate advice regarding any problem areas where plaque and tartar are accumulating.
  • Examine your gums for bleeding, inflammation and pocket formation, which are signs of gum disease.
  • Examine the soft tissues of your mouth to screen for oral cancer and other diseases.
  • Investigate the cause of any symptoms you report adjacent to the mouth- e.g sinusitis, jaw joint dysfunction, myalgia.
  • X-rays are useful in dentistry as they allow us to see areas not visible clinically.
  • Impressions may be taken to allow analysis of your bite and or crowding/spacing of your teeth.
  • In the case of significant gum problems, a full charting of the pocket depths between your teeth and gums may be taken.
  • Vitality tests may be carried out where it is suspected that the pulp of a tooth has died.
  • Colour intra-oral photographs or full-mouth photographs may be taken