Dentists recommend that you go to the dentist every 6 months to help prevent tooth decay, plaque build-up and gum disease from developing. If your dentist can keep track of your oral health at 6 monthly intervals, you can avoid unexpected dental fees in the future for expensive restorative treatment. Your smile will improve also!

If further treatment is required, book an appointment before leaving your dental clinic.

A typical routine dental check up includes:

• a consultation,
• a full dental examination,
• a professional deep clean & scale, and
• a fluoride treatment.

Dental X-rays, polish and fissure sealants may be included as extras if required or desired. After your check up, your next scheduled dental visit will also be confirmed.

The average cost of a standard dental check up in Australia is around $222 according to the Australian Dental Association (ADA). This includes an oral examination, clean & scale and a fluoride treatment. The cost of a check up can vary between dentists from $150 to $305 due to location and variations in treatment methods, materials, equipment and overheads. Additionally, the cost for two dental X-rays is about $90 on average.

Dental clean & scales are important because they can help prevent cavities and gum disease. Your dental hygienist can remove any plaque or tartar that has accumulated on your teeth – the main causes of cavities and gum disease.

You can only remove 40% of plaque build up through brushing alone, unless you have a thorough interdental cleaning routine – using either floss or an interdental brush. That’s because there are a lot of hard-to-reach tooth surface areas in your mouth – and once plaque hardens into tartar, only your dentist can remove it using specialised dental tools.

Your dental hygienist can also remove tooth stains during clean & scale treatment for a brighter, whiter smile!

A standard dental clean takes around 30 minutes for your dental hygienist to complete. However, all patients are different, so cleaning can last up to an hour depending on how much plaque and tartar build up you have on your teeth.

You may also need to refrain from eating or drinking for at least 30 minutes, if you’ve had a fluoride treatment.