Frequently asked questions

Most of what goes wrong gives no warning until it is late. Decay and gum disease both start quietly, and by the time something hurts, the options have usually narrowed to a root canal or taking the tooth out. A check-up twice a year finds those things while a filling or a clean still deals with them.

Twice a year suits most people. Plaque is the soft film that forms on teeth every day; left alone it hardens into calculus, which a brush cannot shift and we have to remove with instruments. Calculus has a rough surface that collects more plaque, so it tends to build on itself. Gum disease has also been linked to heart disease, stroke and diabetes, which is part of why the interval matters beyond the mouth.

Brush bristles do not reach between the teeth, however carefully you brush, and between the teeth is where decay and gum disease usually begin. Flossing covers two of the five surfaces of every tooth that brushing leaves alone.

Because we cannot see between the teeth by looking. X-rays show the contact points where the teeth touch, and the bone level under the gum, which is where early decay and early gum disease appear before either is visible.

Yes, and it is worth doing. Pregnancy makes gums more prone to inflammation, so a clean tends to be more useful then rather than less. Poor gum health in pregnancy has also been associated with premature birth and low birth weight, so it is not only a comfort question.

As soon as the first tooth appears, usually around six or seven months. Use an extra-soft children's brush and no toothpaste at that age, because they cannot spit it out yet. Starting early matters less for what it cleans than for the habit it sets.

Before their second birthday. The first appointment is mostly about letting them see the room, the chair and the people, so the next one is not the first time.

In-chair whitening lifts stain rather than removing tooth structure, so the enamel is left intact. Some people get sensitivity for a day or two afterwards and it settles. The ones to be careful with are over-the-counter strips and kits, where neither the concentration nor the fit is controlled, and the gums take as much of it as the teeth.

Usually one of two reasons. There is not enough room in the jaw for them to come through properly, or they are coming through at an angle and pushing against the tooth in front. Gums at the back that swell and settle and swell again are the common sign that one of those is happening.