General dentistry
Dr. Harding examines each tooth for decay, cracks, and wear, checks existing fillings and crowns for failure at the edges, measures gum health, and looks at how your teeth meet when you bite. He also screens the soft tissue of your mouth, cheeks, tongue, and throat.
New patients get a comprehensive exam, which is more thorough and usually includes X-rays so we can see what is happening between teeth and below the gum line. Returning patients get a periodic exam at each cleaning visit, focused on what has changed.
Everything found gets explained in plain language, along with what happens if you treat it now and what happens if you wait. Some findings genuinely can wait and be watched. We will tell you which ones those are.
Step by step
Each surface, one at a time, looking for decay, cracks, wear facets, and failing edges on old fillings.
Color, texture, bleeding, and pocket depths around the teeth, which tell us whether gum disease is present or advancing.
How your teeth come together, and whether your jaw joint moves smoothly and without pain.
Cheeks, tongue, palate, and throat get screened for anything that looks unusual.
What we found, what it means, your options, and what each one involves.
Worth knowing
Pain, sensitivity to hot or cold, or a tooth that feels different when you bite are all worth checking before they get worse.
Decay is quiet in the early stages. A yearly gap gives it time to reach the nerve, which turns a filling into a root canal.
Anything that moves has a gap under it, and gaps trap bacteria where you cannot clean them.
Common questions
No. We take them when we need information we cannot get by looking, and on an interval that fits your history and risk. New patients almost always need a baseline set.
Yes, for both general and cosmetic questions. Come in, get looked at, and find out what your teeth need before deciding on anything.
You will not get a lecture. A lot of our patients come back after a long gap. We start where you are and build a plan you can actually work through.
New patients welcome
We want to help you keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime. Contact us today and we will find a convenient time.