What is a dental checkup?

A dental checkup is a thorough examination of your teeth, gums, mouth and related areas around the mouth. The checkup usually includes some or all of the following:

• Medical history update

During the checkup, tell your dentist about your general health. Tell your dentist if you:

• Smoke.
• Have any allergies.
• Wear a medical device like a pacemaker.
• Are pregnant.
• Are taking any over-the-counter, prescription or herbal medications (if so, give your dentist a list of your medications and dosage information).
• Have changed medication since your last checkup.
• Are being treated for a health problem or a medical condition.
• Have any changes in your general health.
• Have had surgery.

• Dental history update

During the checkup, tell your dentist about any problems or changes to your teeth, gums or mouth. Tell your dentist if:

• Your teeth are loose, have changed colour or have moved.
• Your teeth or gums are more sensitive to hot or cold temperatures or sweet foods or drinks.
• Your gums have changed colour or if they are tender or bleed when you brush or floss.
• Floss catches on rough edges of your teeth.
• The skin on the inside of your mouth has changed colour.
• You are clenching or grinding your teeth.
• You are nervous about visiting the dentist.

• Dental examination and treatment

During the dental examination, your dentist looks closely at your teeth, gums and mouth. Your dentist is specially trained to spot any problems such as cavities, gum disease and infections. Many small problems may be caught and treated right away.

• Consultation and advice

At this point, your dentist may discuss any concerns that he or she may have with your oral health and suggest an appropriate treatment plan. This is also a good time for you to ask questions.

• Cleaning

A professional cleaning is the only way to remove tartar and plaque buildup from teeth. Plaque is an invisible film that occurs naturally in your mouth and sticks firmly to your teeth. It contains bacteria (germs) and forms on your teeth every day. If plaque is not removed daily by brushing and flossing, it hardens into tartar. If tartar is not removed, it builds up around your teeth and under your gum lines, making it impossible to properly clean your teeth of plaque. Overtime, plaque buildup can eventually lead to gum disease. The main steps in a cleaning are scaling and polishing. Scaling removes tartar and plaque buildup from teeth. Polishing smoothes and cleans the surfaces of the teeth.