General Dentistry
GENERAL AND RESTORATIVE DENTAL SERVICES
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The most common reason to visit your dentist is for your routine examination. These check ups are essential to your on-going dental care as they give us the chance to fully assess your mouth, teeth and gums for any issues. We ensure our check up is thorough so we can lower the risk of any future problems, and minimise the need for further treatments.
Why are routine check ups so important?
Prevention is always better than cure, so letting us look at your teeth and gums regularly allows us to spot any signs of potential problems before they get a chance to get worse. Some issues can worsen over time, needing more drawn out and costly treatment to fix further down the line. Your regular check ups can help prevent this from happening.
What can I expect at my check up?
During your appointment, we will examine and assess your teeth, gums and mouth, checking:
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Teeth and gums for any signs of decay, damage or gum disease
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Tongue, cheeks and other soft tissues to ensure they are healthy
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For any signs of mouth cancer to ensure early diagnosis and treatment if necessary
We will also check any previous treatment you have had, including fillings, crowns and bridges, to ensure they are still in good condition.
We will ask about your general health and if you have experienced any problems since your last check up, allowing you to raise any concerns you may have. To keep your teeth in excellent condition at home, we will share tips and advice on the best cleaning techniques at home.
If we find anything that requires treatment, we will devise a treatment plan for you, including the best course of action and expected costs.
It is quite normal to have dental radiographs or 'x-rays' taken every few years. These are a very important diagnostic tool for us to check many parts of your mouth that we may not otherwise be able to see. We will always do a full report on the radiographs and follow up if anything untoward is noted on them. We will be checking the health of your jaw bone, teeth and any existing dental restorations on each picture we take.
If we find any problems we will let you know at the appointment and discuss the options that are available including the prices to resolve the issue. If in very rare circumstances we feel the problem is beyond our skills, we will be able to discuss referrals to other practices or specialists if required.
How often do I need a check up?
We recommend visiting for a routine examination every six months, or at least annually depending on each patient’s individual circumstances. Your dentist will let you know when you need to return for your next appointment.
If you experience any problems or have any concerns between your check ups, please get in touch to arrange an earlier visit.