A complete dental examination is necessary for proper long-term planning of a person’s dental care. Not infrequently, we might see a person for the first time because, say, an old filling broke. After that problem is solved, we typically hear “How’s the rest of my mouth?” Our only honest answer to that is an unhelpful-sounding, “I don’t know.”
We don’t know for two reasons: Our focus was elsewhere, and it takes time to gather the information to answer the question responsibly and honestly.
Nevertheless “How’s the rest of my mouth?” is a great question. Here’s what a “Complete Dental Exam” is about.