What it is
An exam and a hygiene visit are different things.
The exam is the dentist looking at teeth, gums, bite and soft tissue, including an oral cancer screening, and deciding whether anything needs doing. The hygiene visit is the scaling and polishing that removes what brushing cannot reach. They are frequently booked together, which is why people think of them as one appointment.
- It has been six months or more since the last one
- Your gums bleed when you brush
- There is staining from coffee, tea or smoking
- You can feel roughness behind your lower front teeth
- You are due but have been putting it off
- You want both done in one trip
What the visit is like
What the appointment covers.
- Exam first, x-rays only if usefulTeeth, gums, bite, soft tissue and an oral cancer screening. X-rays where they would change what we do, not by default.
- ScalingRemoving hardened deposit above and below the gumline. How long this takes depends on how much is there, which varies a lot between people.
- Polish and, where useful, fluorideSurface stain off, and fluoride varnish where it is worth applying.
- What we found, plainlyUsually nothing. Where there is something, you get it in writing with the fee and the insurance estimate beside it.
Cost and coverage
You should never be surprised by a bill.
Every plan arrives with the fee beside each line and the insurance estimate beside that, before you agree to anything. We submit to your plan directly where it allows it, and we are set up for the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Fees for this are quoted in writing after an exam, per tooth and per surface. Nobody can price it accurately from a website or over the phone.
Common questions
Asked on the phone most weeks.
How often do I need a cleaning?
Does a cleaning hurt?
Can I have the exam and cleaning the same day?
Booking
Say what it is when you call.
If it is pain, say that -- it changes how the day gets arranged. If it is a checkup for three people, say that too and we will try to put you in one morning.
Also at Brightside