A regular complete oral examination is critical to your ongoing oral health care. The Complete Oral Exam can catch problems early before you see or feel them and when they are much easier and less expensive to treat.

 

Here are some of what your dentist will be looking for:

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• Damaged, missing or decayed teeth

• Early signs of cavities

• Condition of your gums, such as periodontal pockets, inflammation, or other signs of gum disease (which can lead to tooth loss and bone loss)

• To see how previous dental work such as root canals, fillings and crowns are holding up

• Early signs of mouth or throat cancer, such as white lesions or blocked salivary glands

• Other suspicious growths or cysts

• Position of your teeth (e.g. spacing, bite)

• Signs that you clench or grind your teeth (a treatable problem that can otherwise cause headache or sore jaw, and can, if serious, lead to severe tooth loss and necessitate full mouth rehabilitation)

• The overall health and function of your temporomandibular joint (which joins the jaw to the skull)

• The overall condition of the bones in your face, jaw.