Rickmansworth Denitst

Your First Visit

Your Dental Examination (Which includes Oral Cancer Screening)

Your First Visit

Your first visit will involve meeting the team at Inspire Dental Care, filling out a medical questionnaire, a smile profile and then a dental examination & oral cancer screening where we will endeavour to find a solution to your personal oral health needs:

To maintain healthy teeth & gums we advise you visit a dentist twice a year. This frequency level works well for most people, although some people with gum disease, a genetic predisposition for plaque build-up or cavities, or a weakened immune system might need to visit the dentist more frequently for optimal care.

Also, keep in mind that certain life events – particularly those that cause stress or illness – might cause changes in the mouth or the development of an infection, and might make more frequent visits to the dentist necessary.

The three biggest reasons that most strongly support the 6 monthly dental examination schedule are:

So that we can check for problems that you might not see or feel (patients often only come to see us when they have pain).
To allow us to find early signs of decay (decay doesn’t become visible or cause pain until it reaches more advanced stages).
To treat any other oral health problems found (generally, the earlier a problem is found, the more manageable it is).

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What is involved in a

Dental Examination & Oral Cancer Screening?

Your dental exam will likely include these evaluations:

Head and neck

We will look for any problems on the exterior surface of your head and neck, as well as feel for any swelling or tenderness (which are signs of an infection or disease) in your lymph nodes and salivary glands in your neck area. We will also examine your temporomandibular joint(jaw joint) to determine if it is working properly.

Soft tissue

The soft tissues of your mouth include the tongue, inside of the lips and cheeks, and the floor and roof of the mouth. We will examine these areas for spots, lesions, cuts, swellings, or growths that could indicate an oral health problem. Your dentist will also inspect the back of your throat and tonsil area.

Gum tissue

We will examine your gums and supporting structures of the teeth. Your dentist will look for signs of gum disease, which include red or puffy gum tissue and tissue that easily bleeds when gently poked. If your dentist determines you have gum disease, he or she might send you to the hygienist or periodontist.

Occlusion

We will check how well your upper and lower teeth come together. Your dentist might simply look at how your teeth meet, or he or she might take impressions of your teeth if a more careful exam of “your bite” is necessary.

Clinical examination of teeth

We will check for signs of tooth decay by examining the surface of every tooth. Your dentist may gently probe the surface of a tooth with a dental instrument, called an explorer, to look for cavities. (Decayed enamel feels softer when poked compared to healthy enamel.) Your dentist will also check for any problems with fillings, braces, bridges, dentures, crowns, or other restorations.

X-rays

We will take X-rays where necessary to look for signs of tooth decay, as well as for gum disease and other oral health problems.

01923 774 555 Book a free consultation

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What our happy patients say...

Thankyou Dr Saavan for seeing me today as NHS patient. My whole experince was very good, as was treated with very friendly staff at the reception and then the Dr Saavan was very gentle with my checkup and explained all very well.

I am a dentist myself and Dr Keval Shah did my root canal. He did an amazing job and I cannot fault him at all. Everything was done to perfection and I would happily go back to him and would recommend anyone to visit him if they need a root canal. 10/10

I had to book an emergency appointment and Dr. Neha was brilliant. She took her time, listened to concerns as well as taking the steps to reassure me

Preeyam & Corina were lovely and made my son feel so relaxed during the appointment. Been coming to these dentist clinic since moving in the area - 5 years now and never had any problems. Dr Mahesh Patel is the dentist I see regularly who is excellent; and the hygienist Archana is amazing and thorough!

Archana is a friendly hygienist who gives me an excellent service each time I come without being pushy and the best advice.

Been coming to this dentist for many years and have my regular appointments plus Invisalign last year. The dentist and hygienist I have are both brilliant and I’d recommend the surgery to all!

Lovely team!!

I am currently undergoing dental implant treatment under Dr Mahesh Patel which also involved tooth extraction of a broken tooth. Dr Mahesh was extremely informative and highly professional, putting me at ease and taking me through the whole process perfectly. I thoroughly recommend anyone to have dental treatment from Dr Mahesh Patel and in particular I also need to praise Dr Nik at this lovely dental practice!

Always good, very gentle, from someone who used to have a phobia about dentists!

Always well looked after by hygienist Archna Patel