Along with practicing good oral hygiene techniques like daily flossing and brushing, you can help protect your overall oral health by scheduling routine dental check-ups. Ideally, you’ll go to your dental check-up every six months or more if your dentist recommends it.
What to Expect at Your Dental Check-Up
Usually, you’ll have a dental hygienist and a dentist performing your check-up. Not every visit for a check-up goes the same way, but you’ll typically have:
- Cleaning and Polishing – At your appointment, your dental hygienist will use a specialized tool called a hand scaler to scrape your teeth and remove any tartar. They may also polish your teeth after they remove the tartar. This can help remove any stains or remaining plaque from your teeth.
- Education – After they finish cleaning your teeth, your dental professional will discuss any problems they found like inflammation or decay. They may also show you how to floss or brush more effectively.
- Exam – They’ll perform a routine exam on your gums, teeth and mouth to look for signs of decay, gum disease or oral cancer. They may also bring out a special probe to measure the spaces between your gums and teeth and another tool to poke at your teeth to check for cavities. They might pick up a mouth mirror to get a better look at the back and sides of your teeth. This is also the stage where your dentist recommends any treatments or referrals.
- X-Rays- Once a year, your dentist may take x-rays of your mouth to look for gum disease, decay or dental problems like abscesses. If you go to a new dentist, bring copies of your old x-rays.
A more thorough dental check-up may be in order called a comprehensive examination. This typically happens the first time you visit a new dentist. During this exam, your dentist will:
- Discuss your medical history
- Take several x-rays
- Examine your head, mouth and neck
Dental Check-Up Cost
The dental check-up cost will vary from each dental practice. However, the average cost of a dental check-up in Australia is $222. This cost includes the dental exam, clean, scale and fluoride treatment. If you get x-rays, add in roughly $90 for every two x-rays you get to bring your total up to $312. You can ask for an estimate before you come in for your dental check-up.
Contact Holistic Dental Donvale to Schedule a Dental Check-Up Today!
If you need a dental check-up, reach out and contact us. We’re happy to discuss your dental check-up cost, what will happen during the check-up and answer your questions.
