1. Comprehensive medical and dental history 2. Taking your BP and Pulse 3. Testing your saliva pH 4. Assessment for plaque and tartar levels 5. Oral cancer screening 6. Checking teeth and fillings for disease or defective restorations 7. Charting all existing restorations 8. Measurements for gum disease with 6-point periodontal probing per tooth, measuring gum recession, bone loss, and bleeding response 9. Checking for bone loss and tooth mobility 10. Assessing your current home care routine
Periodontal disease is a serious condition that can harm teeth and is often undetected, similar to untreated high blood pressure. You don't know until it is often too late! It is a silent killer of your teeth. Testing and probing are necessary to diagnose this disease.
We have a different exams to choose from. The fee for our Comprehensive Complete exam is $110 other exams are $65 and up.
Below is a list of our testing services that we offer:
We provide additional services such as digital x-rays. This is part of an examination process with your consent.
Dental hygienists in Alberta have the ability to take x-rays and make diagnoses within their scope of practice. We use digital imaging, which results in a lower dose of radiation, along with protective measures such as lead aprons and thyroid collars to ensure the safety of our clients.
Once we have your x-rays, we will send them to either you or your family dentist.
How often you should get x-rays taken? This is based on a number of risk factors. Keep in mind that decay between teeth or infection of a tooth are not visible without the help of x-rays. In fact, we have detected many abscessed teeth on dental x-rays that showed no signs or symptoms for the client. Ultimately, the decision is yours and we respect your right to choice.
At our clinic, we only provide intra-oral x-rays. The fee for 4 BW's is $85. For new clients we usually recommend 7 PA's for $120 to ensure there is no abscess on any of root tips. Sometimes, this is the only way to tell if you have a dental infection.
If you require a 3D x-ray, we can refer you to a clinic that is equipped with this technology.
Microscopic Analysis
Microscopic analysis is another additional service that is a simple tool that helps identify the types of bacteria present in your mouth and determine if you're at risk of bone loss around your teeth.
With this method, a sample of your plaque is taken and viewed under a microscope slide. Four types of bacteria can be detected through this type of analysis: Rods, Cocci, Amoebas, and Spirochetes. While Rods and Cocci are considered normal, the latter two are associated with bone loss.
Early detection of these harmful bacteria enables us to create a care plan that eliminates them and prevents further damage to your teeth. We recommend this for all our clients, especially for those with 5 mm gum pocket measurements. This is an extra charge of $25 in addition to our Complete New Client exam.
Salivary Testing
Salivary testing is another additional service we offer.
We now have access to several types of salivary testing for early diagnosis and assessing your risk for disease or genetic risk factors such as My Perio Path, My Perio ID-IL-6, OraRisk Caries, HPV, Candida, HSV, CT/NG, Celcius One (gene markers), Whole Body Health Panel, Comprehensive Oral Test, Gluten Sensitivity Test and more!
Are YOU at RISK? Test Don't Guess! Saliva testing helps identify oral pathogens causing gum disease and associated with health risks such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It also detects gene markers for inflammation, which can impact disease severity, and HPV high-risk types for oral cancer. Testing allows for effective treatment selection and follow-up assessment.
If you are interesting in any of our testing services, please call us for a complete list and fees. Typically, the cost is $200 and up. Our fee is very small just to collect the saliva sample and send it to the lab. Most of the cost is from the outside lab itself for it's testing services.
The Spectra camera is a cutting-edge technology utilized in dentistry for the early detection of dental caries (tooth decay).
This advanced device emits a harmless fluorescent light onto the teeth, revealing areas of demineralization that may indicate the presence of decay. By highlighting these imperceptible changes in tooth structure, the Spectra camera enables your hygienist to identify decay in its earliest stages, even before it becomes visible or causes discomfort to the client.
This early detection allows for timely intervention and minimally invasive treatments, ultimately preserving the client's dental health and preventing the progression of decay. The Spectra camera is a valuable tool in modern dentistry, providing you with a non-invasive and highly effective method for caries detection for a low cost of $30.