We look before we treat.

Where does it hurt?

This is a guide to what gets examined, not a diagnosis. Nobody has looked in your mouth.

• Front teeth

  The four teeth at the very front, top or bottom.

  Commonly checked here:

  • Chips, thinning and wear along the biting edges
  • The gum line, and how much root is showing above it
  • The edges of any older composite, crown or veneer work

  A scan of this area shows the roots and the bone holding them, which no amount of looking in a mirror can show.

  Only an in-person examination and a scan can tell what is actually going on here.

• Corner teeth (canines)

  The pointed teeth at the corners of the smile, one on each side.

  Commonly checked here:

  • Wear on the point, and the path the jaw takes across it
  • Notching or sensitivity at the neck of the tooth
  • Gum recession, which shows up early on these long roots

  A scan shows the whole length of a canine root and the angle it takes in the bone — these are the longest roots in the mouth and most of one is never visible.

  Only an in-person examination and a scan can tell what is actually going on here.

• Premolars

  The two smaller back teeth on each side, just behind the corner tooth.

  Commonly checked here:

  • The grooves across the biting surface
  • The contact points between neighbouring teeth
  • Existing fillings and the tooth structure left around them

  Bitewing images show the surfaces between these teeth, which are hidden from direct view even with a mirror and good light.

  Only an in-person examination and a scan can tell what is actually going on here.

• Molars

  The large grinding teeth at the back of each side.

  Commonly checked here:

  • Deep grooves and fissures on the chewing surface
  • Large or long-standing fillings, and what surrounds them
  • Gum pocket depths around each root

  A scan shows the roots, the nerve chamber inside the tooth, and the bone level around it — the three things that most often decide what a molar actually needs.

  Only an in-person examination and a scan can tell what is actually going on here.

• Wisdom area

  The very back corner of the jaw, behind the last molar.

  Commonly checked here:

  • Whether a wisdom tooth has formed at all — plenty of people never form one
  • How much room there is behind the last molar
  • The gum flap over a tooth that is only partly through

  A full jaw image (OPG) shows wisdom teeth that have not come through, along with their angle and how close they sit to the nerve. An unerupted tooth cannot be assessed any other way.

  Only an in-person examination and a scan can tell what is actually going on here.

• Gums and jaw

  The gum line running around the teeth, and the jaw joint just in front of each ear.

  Commonly checked here:

  • Gum colour, firmness, and bleeding on gentle probing
  • Pocket depths measured at several points around each tooth
  • Jaw joint movement, clicking, and tenderness in the chewing muscles

  Images show the bone level underneath the gum, which is the measurement that separates gum inflammation from gum disease. Nothing on the surface reveals it.

  Only an in-person examination and a scan can tell what is actually going on here.

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