Our thorough dental examination will give us a comprehensive picture of the current health of your teeth, gums and associated tissues. Your regular dental check-up will involve:

• A complete medical history
• Examination of your temporomandibular joints (where the jaw articulates with the skull). TMJ problems are a common cause of headaches.
• Palpation of the salivary and lymph glands in the head and neck looking for discomfort, swelling and asymmetry
• Examination of the skin and soft tissues surrounding your mouth looking for abnormalities, swelling and moles
• Examination of the teeth and gums. As well as a visual examination this will include:
  1. X-rays: we use digital radiography equipment with a much smaller radiation dose than standard equipment. X-rays are a vital part of any dental examination allowing us to diagnose problems under the surface of the teeth, between the teeth or in the roots
  2. Intra-oral camera: a small hand-held camera can take close-up pictures of your teeth and project them onto the screen in front of you – you will be able to see exactly what your dentist sees.
  3. Diagnodent: a gentle laser device that rests on the tooth and calculates the level of bacteria on the surface. This technology allows safe detection of early or hidden caries.
• Dietary advice
• Discussion of oral cancer risk factors including smoking and alcohol