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Dental Check Up

Routinely get your teeth cleaned and checked by a dental professional.

Regular care is the best care

We encourage all of our patients to visit us on a regular basis for a dentist check up to have their teeth examined and to receive a comprehensive teeth scale and clean. Early diagnosis of a dental or oral problem can make treatment less difficult and less expensive. Long term results will also be more effective.

What does a dentist check up include?

At your regular check-up you will undergo dental cleaning and scaling, beginning with a physical exam, where a dentist checks your teeth and gums for issues or damage. After that, a dental scaling removes plaque and tartar around and between your teeth. Everything is rounded off with a dental cleaning, where your dentist will use a gritty toothpaste that scrubs and polishes your teeth after all tartar is removed.

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Why is it important to clean your teeth regularly?

Plaque forms on teeth very quickly, and if not removed can lead to acids attacking the teeth causing dental decay. If left on teeth plaque will also form tartar, which is what the dentist removes when performing a dentist check up and clean. When tartar is not removed, it hardens on your teeth and promotes staining, bad breath, gum disease, and overall tooth decay.

How to keep your teeth clean at home

Nothing replaces a dental clean, but looking after your teeth at home can help to ensure their health and longevity. Begin by rinsing your mouth, then add a pea-sized dab of toothpaste onto your brush. Tilt your brush at a 45 degree angle and gently move it back and forth with short strokes on the outer surfaces of your teeth. Then brush the inner surfaces using the same motion, and finally the chewing surfaces. Finish by brushing your tongue, which helps freshen your breath and remove bacteria.


Follow this with flossing. All you need to do is wind around 40cm of floss between your middle fingers and slide the thread up and down gently between your teeth, and around the base of each tooth. It may be a bit tricky to reach your back teeth when you are just starting to floss, but it is worthwhile learning how and making sure that all of your teeth receive equal treatment. Have a chat with one of our dental hygienists if you need more tips and tricks.

Top tips to clean teeth and ensure teeth maintenance

  • Brush and floss your teeth and gums at least twice daily. Be thorough, cleaning the front and back of your teeth and getting in between them, to get rid of food and plaque build up.
  • Avoid drinking soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit juice too often. The sugar in these drinks can help produce acid that damages your teeth and causes cavities. It’s okay to drink them occasionally, but try and keep it in moderation.
  • Don’t over-consume coffee and tea. These drinks can create stains on your teeth. Typically these stains can be removed with a thorough dental clean, but over-consumption may create more permanent discoloration.
  • Clean your teeth on the go. Where possible, it can be worthwhile carrying a travel dental pack to briefly clean your teeth after each meal and remove as much food as possible. 
  • Start good dental behaviours early. Taking care of your teeth is a lifelong process, and healthy oral habits are most effective when they begin in early childhood years. Parents should encourage and influence positive feelings around dental health. 

Learn more about teeth maintenance

Keep your teeth shining!

Your teeth play a lifelong important role and need close care to maintain their health. Book a dentist check up with your local dentist to regularly clean and scale teeth, ensuring they stay in their best shape, and follow our tips for clean teeth to ensure good oral health.

FAQs

Because of the grittiness of the toothpaste used in professional teeth cleaning, it’s advised to go for a dentist clean every six months, and not any more regularly. Your dentist will advise if they need to see you sooner for any other reasons, but a six-monthly dentist check up and clean is good practice for everyone.

Excessive brushing can actually damage your teeth and gums! Over-brushing can occur when you brush your teeth for too long or too often, but also when you brush them too vigorously. These practices can wear down your enamel, make your teeth more sensitive and make your gums puffy and swollen.

If you don’t clean your teeth, plaque will develop and progressively break down your tooth enamel. Other issues like bad breath and disease will begin to grow, and you may need dental work like crowns and root canals. Eventually, leaving your teeth uncleaned will lead to decay and tooth loss.

After brushing and flossing, using a bit of mouthwash can help reduce food particles and plaque, while also preventing bad breath. Regular use can also prevent periodontal disease.

Studies have found that electric toothbrushes are typically more effective at removing plaque, while also being easier to use for those with limited mobility. Electric brushes also often come with built-in timers, helping you brush effectively. However, they are a lot more expensive, and manual brushes are still very effective when using the right technique.

As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, parents should use a soft infant toothbrush designed for children under 2 years. You can also use a clean washcloth or damp gauze to wipe their gums and teeth.

A typical dental checkup will take between 30 minutes to an hour, but it depends on the level of treatment and intervention you require. If your teeth are relatively clean and healthy, it can take as little as 20 minutes, but teeth that are less clean will require a longer consultation.