Dental Checkups

During a new patient assessment, or recall appointment, we assess your:

Jaw joints, muscles that move your jaw, lymph nodes and glands under your chin and neck.

Soft tissues in your mouth to check for any abnormal changes such as red or white spots, on the inside of your cheeks, lips, tongue, under your tongue, tonsils and the roof of your mouth. This is to assess for oral cancer and other conditions that may present in the head and neck.

Teeth for decay, cracks, the current condition of fillings or crowns, decay around old fillings, defective or chipped teeth, using air to dry the teeth, a mirror and a probe.

Gums to check for gum disease such as bleeding gums, calculus, pockets using a periodontal probe. 4mm pocketing or more is a sign of gum disease that requires treatment and long-term ongoing maintenance to achieve health.

X-rays are taken to assess the condition of the current fillings, any decay, how close the filling or decay is to the nerve of the tooth. Subsequent x-rays may be required to assess the wisdom teeth or multiple heavily filled teeth; these are either taken with more small x-rays with a close-up view of the root, or a full mouth panoramic x-ray.

Photographs are taken of any teeth the dentist needs to take a close eye on and compare if there are any changes at recall appointments; further treatment may be required.

A treatment plan is given to all patients that require further work with costs per item displayed. There are always a variety of options for each tooth, whether it be doing nothing, or doing something that lasts a short, medium or the longest time. Our treatment plans are tailormade for every patient and can be modified at any time if circumstances change.

Hygiene recommendations for optimal gum health maintenance will also be advised in the treatment plan whether they are 3, 4, 6, 9 or 12 monthly.