Visiting the dentist every six months is recommended to help keep your teeth and your mouth in good condition, but dental check-ups are useful for more than just giving you peace of mind, they can also be the best way to detect possible problems before they become more serious and require expensive treatment to correct.

Dentists are usually skilled in providing a number of treatments beyond check-ups, and when you are scheduled for an appointment for dental work to be carried out, it may be performed by your regular dentist or by another professional. Some dentists are trained in more specialised areas of dentistry, such as teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry treatments, or teeth straightening and orthodontistry work for children and teens.

One of the most commonly performed dental treatments is a root canal or filling, which involves tooth cavities being sealed to prevent further decay and damage. This can allow people to avoid the more permanent alternative of tooth extraction, which involves the physical removal of teeth from the mouth. Any pain experienced in the days following root canals may be effectively controlled through the use of pain killers.

If you do have missing teeth, either following extractions, accidents and injuries or tooth decay, dentists also provide a number of services to restore the space in your mouth with a functional tooth substitute. Dental implants are designed to be hard wearing and to mimic the function and appearance of real teeth, allowing people to eat as normal and restore their confidence with a full smile.

If you are experiencing a loss of confidence in your appearance due to oral health issues, dental services such as cosmetic dentistry could be useful for restoring whiteness to the enamel surface of teeth or correcting misaligned teeth. Other dental issues may not be caused by the teeth at all, but problems with jaw alignment, which can also be corrected by skilled surgeons to alleviate problems with eating and drinking, breathing, speaking and other functions.

Some dentists are skilled at treating the inside of teeth, known as endodontics, while others are trained to provide services concerning the gums and jaws that support the teeth, or periodontics. Depending on the symptoms you are experiencing, your dentist may refer you to more specialised practitioners, and you may also wish to obtain contact details for children's dentists when arranging check-ups and treatments for younger children.

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