Almost nothing that goes wrong in a mouth announces itself early. Decay does not hurt until it reaches the nerve. Gum disease does not hurt at all until bone is already lost. A cracked filling feels normal right up until the day the tooth splits. A checkup exists to find those things while they are still small, cheap, and fixable, which is a very different job from fixing them later.

A routine examination at Midpark Dental takes about 45 minutes.

Here is the whole appointment:

1. We review what has changed. New medications, new medical conditions, pregnancy, anything that has started hurting, anything you have noticed. Medications in particular change what we look for, because dozens of common ones cause dry mouth, and dry mouth drives decay.
2. Your dentist examines every tooth. Decay, cracks, wear, chips, the condition of every existing filling, crown, and bridge. Restorations have a lifespan and most patients do not know theirs is ending.
3. We assess your gums. Bleeding, recession, and pocket depths where the gum meets the tooth. Pocket depth is the number that separates reversible gingivitis from periodontitis, which is not reversible.
4. We screen for oral cancer. Tongue, floor of the mouth, cheeks, palate, throat, and the lymph nodes in your neck. This takes about two minutes and it is the part of the appointment patients most often do not know is happening.
5. We check how your teeth meet. Bite problems, jaw joint tenderness, and the flattened edges and hairline cracks that indicate grinding.
6. We take X-rays if you need them. That decision is explained below.
7. You get told what we found and what it will cost. In plain language, with the fee guide code, before anything is booked.

Twice a year is the number everyone has heard. It is a reasonable default and it is wrong for a lot of people in both directions.

Recall intervals are set on risk. A patient with no decay history, healthy gums, good home care, and no dry mouth may be well served at nine or twelve months. A patient managing periodontal disease, a high decay rate, diabetes, dry mouth from medication, or a heavy grinding habit usually needs three or four months, because that is the interval at which the disease is actually caught. Sending both of those patients away with the same six-month card serves neither one.

We set your interval after your first examination and we revisit it when your circumstances change. If your insurance covers recall examinations at a fixed frequency, tell us, and we will tell you plainly whether your clinical need matches it.

An examination shows us the surfaces we can see. It cannot show decay between teeth where they contact, infection at the root tip, bone loss under the gum, or the position of an unerupted tooth. When we need to see any of those, we take the specific image that shows it.

Digital sensors at Midpark Dental use a fraction of the radiation of the film systems most adults remember from childhood. That is a reason to take the image when it is indicated. It is not a reason to take images that are not.

If you have had X-rays taken elsewhere recently, ask your previous clinic to send them.

Every examination at Midpark Dental checks for the following:

• Decay on and between the teeth
• Cracks, chips, and wear facets from grinding
• Failing or leaking fillings, crowns, and bridges
• Bleeding, swelling, or recession of the gums
• Pocket depths and any sign of bone loss
• Loose teeth
• Sensitivity and pain, and what is causing it
• Lesions, patches, or lumps anywhere in the mouth or throat
• Tenderness or clicking in the jaw joints
• How your teeth meet when you bite and slide your jaw
• Staining and discolouration, and whether it is on the surface or inside the tooth

Tooth decay

A white chalky patch on enamel is decay that has started but has not yet broken through. At that stage it can often be arrested and remineralized with fluoride and a change in home care, and no drilling happens. Once the surface breaks, it cannot be reversed, and the treatment is a filling. Left further, it reaches the nerve, and the treatment is a root canal and a crown. The same problem costs very different amounts depending only on when it is found.

Gum disease

Gums bleed because bacterial plaque has been sitting along the gumline long enough to inflame the tissue. That stage is gingivitis, and it reverses completely with a professional cleaning and better home care. If it continues, the inflammation reaches the bone that holds your teeth in, and that bone does not grow back. Periodontitis can be managed and slowed. It cannot be undone. The whole difference between those two outcomes is how early someone looked.

Grinding and clenching

If you wake with a sore jaw, have teeth that are flattening at the edges, or have unexplained tooth sensitivity, you may be grinding in your sleep. Most people who grind do not know they do it. We see it on the teeth before the patient feels it, and a custom night guard at that point protects enamel that would otherwise be worn through and rebuilt.

Jaw joint problems

Clicking, limited opening, tenderness in front of the ear, and jaw pain that worsens with chewing can indicate a temporomandibular disorder. Causes vary and often overlap, including clenching, arthritis, injury, and bite problems. We assess the joint at every checkup and, where a TMD is present, we treat what is treatable and refer when the case calls for it.

Oral cancer

Roughly 7,500 Canadians are diagnosed with oral or throat cancer each year. Survival depends heavily on the stage at diagnosis, and early lesions are usually painless, which is why they are missed. Tobacco, alcohol, and HPV all raise risk, but a meaningful number of cases occur in patients with none of those. A two-minute screening at a routine checkup is the most practical way most adults ever get looked at.

We charge the Alberta Dental Association Fee Guide. The guide publishes a standard fee for every procedure code in the province, which means you can look up what an examination should cost and compare us against any other clinic in Alberta.

A routine visit is usually billed as a recall examination, plus units of scaling based on how much buildup is present, plus any X-rays taken. We give you the codes and the total before we begin.

How long does a dental checkup take?

A routine examination at Midpark Dental takes about 45 minutes. A first visit as a new patient takes longer, usually 60 to 75 minutes, because a complete examination and a full set of records take more time than a recall check.

How often should I have a dental checkup?

Most adults are well served every six months, but the correct interval depends on your risk. Patients with healthy gums, no decay history, and good home care may be appropriate at nine to twelve months. Patients managing gum disease, a high decay rate, dry mouth, or diabetes usually need three to four months. We set your interval after examining you.

Do I need X-rays at every checkup?

No. X-rays are taken when your examination and your history indicate we need to see something the eye cannot, such as decay between teeth, infection at a root, or bone loss under the gum. They are not part of every appointment by default.

What does a dental checkup cost in Calgary?

Midpark Dental charges the Alberta Dental Association Fee Guide, which publishes a standard fee for every code in the province. A visit typically combines a recall examination, scaling units based on buildup, and any X-rays taken. We give you the exact codes and total before treatment starts, and we bill insurance directly.

Does the Canadian Dental Care Plan cover checkups?

Yes. Examinations, cleanings, and most preventive services are covered for eligible patients under the CDCP, and Midpark Dental accepts it.

When should my child have their first dental visit?

Within six months of the first tooth appearing, and no later than their first birthday, per the Canadian Dental Association.

Does a dental checkup hurt?

The examination itself does not. If you have heavy buildup or inflamed gums, the cleaning that usually accompanies it can be uncomfortable, and we can numb the area. Tell your hygienist. There is no reason to sit through it.

I have not been to a dentist in years. Is it too late?

No, and you are not going to be lectured. We find out what is going on, tell you plainly, and build a plan in stages you can afford. Most people who have been away a long time expect the appointment to be worse than it is.