Dental Examination

Routine dental checkups are vital to good oral hygiene and are the best way to detect problems at their earliest stages. Early detection and treatment saves unnecessary discomfort, time and money.

What to expect

Your dental checkup includes:

a visual exam of your mouth, face, jaw and neck
electronic dental charting
a gingival pocket exam
digital diagnostics, as determined by your dentist

Visual examination

During a visual exam, your dentist looks not only for cracked and decayed teeth, but also for growths and sores on the roof and floor of your mouth, tongue, lips, gums, and the mucous membranes that line your cheeks and gums. Then your dentist will check the lymph nodes of your head, jaw and neck for pain, tenderness and flexibility.

Electronic dental records

The records of our patients' dental checkups, diagnostics and treatments are kept electronically. Electronic dental records improve patient safety and give our dentists immediate, comprehensive access to medical histories as well as the results of previous and current exams, diagnostics, treatment plans and progress reports, which helps reduce patient waiting time before and during appointments.

Gingival pocket exam

Healthy teeth require healthy gums. A gingival pocket exam determines the presence or risk of gum (periodontal) disease. During your exam, a hand-held instrument is gently placed between gums and teeth to measure the depth of each pocket.

Digital diagnostics

Digital X-rays detect dental problems that cannot be found during a visual exam. Your dentist will normally get two small X-rays to check for decay in between the teeth (usually taken every year), and an big X-ray that shows your whole mouth to see the roots of all your teeth (usually taken every 3 to 5 years).