Dental Check-up in Tangier

Why have regular check-ups?

Most mouth diseases progress silently. Pain usually appears late — often when treatment has already become heavier and more expensive. A check-up lets us act early, while care stays simple and conservative.

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• Early detection of decay — small lesions, sometimes between the teeth, treated minimally rather than with major work.
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• Gum disease diagnosis — gingivitis and periodontitis stay painless for a long time. Finding them early protects the bone and prevents loose teeth.
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• Oral cancer screening — a careful examination of the soft tissues can catch a suspicious lesion early, which changes the outlook considerably.
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• Personalised prevention — hygiene, fluoride, diet, and fissure sealants for children.
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• Link with general health — oral health is connected to diabetes, heart conditions and pregnancy.
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How often? A recall interval that fits you

The familiar « every six months » is an old habit rather than a universal rule. Current thinking — in the spirit of the NICE guidance and the Cochrane evidence — favours a personalised recall interval, set by your dentist after assessing your decay and gum risk.

The aim is not a rigid calendar, but follow-up matched to your actual situation.

How the examination works

A full check-up is painless and methodical. It combines a conversation with you, a clinical examination of the whole mouth, and X-rays only where they are justified.

Medical history

Past conditions, current medication, allergies, and habits such as smoking, alcohol, diet and teeth grinding. This is updated at every visit, because it affects your care.

Outside the mouth

The face, the lymph nodes in the neck, and the jaw joints, checking for clicking or restricted movement.

Soft tissues and cancer screening

Lips, cheeks, tongue including its borders and underside, floor of the mouth and palate. Any persistent white or red patch, ulcer or hardened area is looked for systematically — this step can save a life.

Gums

With a fine, painless probe: pocket depth around each tooth, bleeding on probing as an early sign of inflammation, receding areas, and any loss of supporting bone.

Teeth and bite

Each tooth is examined visually and by touch on clean, dried surfaces. Existing fillings and crowns are checked for leakage, fracture or decay underneath. We also look for wear from grinding or acidity, enamel cracks, and how the teeth meet.

X-rays: never routine

An X-ray is prescribed only when the clinical examination justifies it and when it will genuinely inform your care — the principle of justification. The dose is always kept as low as reasonably achievable.

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• Bitewing films — for decay between the teeth, at a frequency matched to your risk.
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• Panoramic — an overview of the jaws, for a specific indication such as wisdom teeth or treatment planning.
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• Cone Beam 3D — for selected cases only (implants, impacted teeth, complex root canals), with the smallest field of view possible.
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Digital sensors, used here, cut exposure sharply compared with old film, at equivalent image quality.

What follows the check-up

The examination leads to a prevention plan built for you.

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• Scaling as needed, and on a regular basis where gum disease has been treated.
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• Home care — brushing twice a day for at least two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste (1450 ppm), plus daily cleaning between the teeth with floss or interdental brushes.
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• Professional fluoride for people at higher risk.
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