Oral health check up

An oral health check up is an examination of the whole mouth rather than treatment of one tooth. Its purpose is to find what is starting before it is felt: decay, gum disease and other changes are all silent at the stage where they are simplest to deal with, and pain generally arrives once the problem is already established.

What the dentist looks for

The examination covers the teeth, the gums and the soft tissues, and the dentist checks how the teeth meet and how existing fillings and crowns are holding up. What is looked for includes:

• Decay, including the surfaces between teeth that are not visible directly and are checked on an X-ray where one is indicated.
• Gum disease, judged on bleeding, swelling and the condition of the gum margin.
• Teeth that are crowded, tipped or out of line, and a bite that loads some teeth more than others.
• Ulcers, inflammation and other changes in the soft tissues of the mouth.
• Cysts and changes around the roots, which are seen on imaging rather than by looking.

How often to come

Every six months is the usual recommendation, and it exists because that interval catches most problems while they are still small. Some mouths need to be seen more often, particularly after periodontal treatment or where decay has been recurrent, and the dentist sets that interval with you.

What happens during the visit

You are asked what has changed since the last visit, including any pain, sensitivity or bleeding, and about your general health and medication, since both affect the mouth. The examination follows, with imaging where it will change a decision. You then go through what was found and what, if anything, is worth doing, along with what can reasonably be watched rather than treated straight away.