What a checkup actually involves
A thorough examination is more than a look for cavities. It is a survey of everything in and around your mouth, which is why it is the appointment that catches problems while they are still small.
- Decay assessment — visual examination and digital X-rays that reveal decay between teeth and below existing fillings
- Gum and bone health — measuring pocket depths and checking for the early signs of gum disease
- Oral cancer screening — examination of the soft tissues, tongue, floor of mouth and throat
- Bite and joint assessment — how your teeth meet, and evidence of grinding or clenching
- Existing restorations — checking older fillings and crowns for wear, leakage or fracture
Digital X-rays use a fraction of the radiation of the film systems they replaced, and the images appear immediately so we can go through them with you on screen.
Professional cleaning
Plaque hardens into tartar within a couple of days, and once it has, no amount of brushing removes it. Scaling by a dental hygienist is the only way it comes off.
Scaling and polishing
Tartar is removed from above and just below the gumline, then surfaces are polished to slow how quickly deposits return. How often you need this depends on how quickly you form tartar — for some patients every six months is right, for others every three or four.
Root planing
Where gum disease has allowed deposits to form deeper on the root surfaces, root planing cleans them and smooths the root so tissue can reattach. It is a treatment rather than a routine cleaning, and it is usually done over more than one visit.
Your hygienist will also show you what your own technique is missing. That is often the most useful part of the appointment — see our at-home oral hygiene guide.
Children and first visits
The recommendation in Canada is a first dental visit by age one, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. That first appointment is short and deliberately uneventful — a look at the emerging teeth, and a conversation with you about cleaning, feeding and habits.
The point of starting that early is familiarity. A child who has been to the dentist several times before anything needs doing is a child who is not frightened when something does.
- Short, positive appointments from the very beginning
- Guidance for parents on brushing, bottles and thumb sucking
- Monitoring of how permanent teeth are arriving and how the bite is developing
- Sealants on permanent molars once they erupt
- Custom mouthguards for children playing sport
Our children’s dental health guide covers milestones age by age.
Sealants, fluoride and guards
Dental sealants
A thin resin coating flowed into the deep grooves of the back teeth, where a toothbrush bristle physically cannot reach. Applied shortly after permanent molars erupt, sealants substantially reduce decay in exactly the surfaces where it most often starts in children.
Fluoride treatment
Professional fluoride varnish strengthens enamel and can arrest early decay before it becomes a cavity needing a filling. It is useful for children and for adults at higher risk — those with dry mouth, frequent decay, or orthodontic appliances.
Night guards
Grinding and clenching wear enamel down, fracture restorations and can contribute to jaw discomfort. Many people have no idea they do it. A custom night guard absorbs that force instead of your teeth.
Sports mouthguards
A custom-fitted guard protects considerably better than a boil-and-bite from a sports shop, because it stays in place. Every K–12 child in a family joining the practice receives one — see our community programs.
Care at every life stage
Children
Establishing habits, monitoring development, sealants and fluoride, and building a relationship with dentistry that is not based on fear.
Teenagers
Higher decay risk from changing diet and independence, orthodontic assessment, wisdom teeth beginning to appear, and mouthguards for sport.
Adults
Gum health becomes the central issue, alongside monitoring older restorations, wear from grinding, and the effects of diet — covered in our diet and dental health guide.
Older adults
Dry mouth from medication raises decay risk sharply, root surfaces become exposed as gums recede, and existing restorations reach the end of their life. Care shifts toward maintaining what is there. See our dental care for seniors page for what changes with age, dry mouth, dentures and support for caregivers.
Family dentistry FAQ
How often should I have a checkup?
+Every six months suits most people, but it is not a universal rule. Patients with gum disease, high decay risk or dry mouth often benefit from every three or four months. We recommend an interval based on your actual risk rather than a default.
At what age should my child first see a dentist?
+By their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing — whichever comes first. Early visits are brief and positive, and they matter more for familiarity than for anything clinical.
Are dental X-rays safe?
+Digital X-rays use a very small dose of radiation — a fraction of what film systems used. We take them based on your individual risk rather than to a fixed schedule, and we always have a clinical reason for each one.
Do I still need cleanings if I brush and floss well?
+Yes. Plaque hardens into tartar within days, and once hardened it cannot be brushed off. Excellent home care lengthens the interval between cleanings but does not remove the need for them.
Can the whole family be seen in one visit?
+We schedule family appointments together wherever the timetable allows — it is usually simpler for parents, and children benefit from seeing a parent go through the same appointment calmly.