Visiting a new dentist for the first time can be a bit daunting — especially when you don’t know what to expect.
You might not relish the idea of a dental checkup, but deciding to make regular trips to your local dentist is one of the most important decisions you can make in relation to your oral health. In fact, frequent dental checkups can help keep your overall health in check, too.
At Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, Dublin D4, we understand that you might be nervous or reluctant to schedule a dental checkup. Thankfully, we have a friendly and highly trained dental team who will do their best to put you at ease while providing the highest quality dental service.
Why Are Dental Checkups Important?
Regular checkups are crucial for two notable reasons:
- Prevention is better than cure. During your dental checkup, your dentist might catch a dental problem, such as decay or gum disease, early. This means we can address it early, preventing it from becoming a bigger, more complicated, more time-consuming and more costly problem.
- During your dental checkup, we won’t just inspect your teeth for plaque or tartar buildup — we also look for signs of oral cancer and other serious issues that are much more manageable when they are spotted early.
What Happens at a Dental Checkup?
On your first visit to our Dublin D4 dental clinic, we will:
- Take a medical history. We’ll ask you about any medical conditions you may have or any medication you are on that might affect your teeth or your gums.
- Chart each individual tooth, fillings and areas of concern.
- Conduct a thorough examination, including checking your jaw points for signs of abnormalities or disease.
- Conduct an oral cancer screen, which checks the soft tissues of your mouth.
- Check the gums for signs of any current or past gum disease.
- Check your teeth for any decay or abnormal wear.
- Take x-rays of the inside of your mouth so we can monitor areas of concern.
- Carry out a professional dental scaling, which will remove your excess tartar and can’t be removed at home. This might be followed up with a polish to remove surface stains on your teeth.
- Make appropriate recommendations of any treatments that may be required based upon our findings.
Questions You May be Asked
So we can provide you with the right care, you should expect one or two questions relating to your general health and lifestyle. This might include whether or not you are pregnant, whether you smoke or drink alcohol and what your daily dental regime is.
How Much Is a Dental Checkup?
Our standard prices are laid out below. If you have any questions or queries regarding our fees or finance, please feel free to contact our friendly team:
Routine Prices | |
Dental Examination, Diagnosis and Treatment Plan | €55 *Free if PRSI qualified (must be pre-approved) |
Emergency Dental Appointment | €95 |
Specialist Consultation (requires referral) | €150 |
What Happens if I Need Expensive Work Done?
At Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, we appreciate that each patient and every case is unique. This is why the prices listed above are intended as a guide only. Our fees vary depending on the complexity of the treatment required. That being said, we believe everyone is deserving of quality dental care, which is why we assess each and every patient individually, drawing up a customised dental treatment plan to suit you.
How Often Should I Arrange a Dental Checkup?
Following your checkup, we will recommend a date for your next visit — some patients will require more attention than others. Our recommendation might be as short as three months or as long as one year.
As a general rule, the lower your risk of dental health problems and the better your overall health, the longer we will recommend waiting before your next checkup.
What Should I Do Between Dental Checkups?
Between checkups, it’s a good idea to get into a good dental regimen every morning and night to fight decay and plaque buildup. Plaque is constantly forming on your teeth, but if you regularly brush and floss, you will be able to keep it at bay.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste. We recommend a medium-bristled toothbrush — firmer toothbrushes can do damage to your teeth. You should also floss daily and use an antibacterial mouthwash to control plaque bacteria.
What Our Patients Say
We take our patients and their oral health seriously, always providing top-quality service. Here’s what our patients have to say about their experience at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge, Dublin D4:
“Would recommend Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge to anyone who wants excellent dental care. Dr. David Keenan and his entire team are super professional and personable. I recently had a dental implant – the Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge team took care in explaining the steps and, equally important, was reassuring during the entire procedure. My spouse and I are expats from the US and have been receiving dental healthcare with Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge over the last five years and will continue in future. They really are an outstanding team.”
— Margo Moran
“Fantastic service at Pembroke Dental Ballsbridge! I couldn’t recommend David and the team more highly.”
— Finn Murphy