Preventive Care
The dentistry that stops you needing dentistry
What it
actually is
Preventive care is the least dramatic and most valuable thing we do. A thorough examination every six months catches decay while it is still a millimetre across, spots gum inflammation before bone is lost, and screens for oral cancer at a stage when outcomes are excellent.
A check-up here is not a two-minute glance. We examine every tooth surface, chart your gums, check the jaw joints and the way your teeth meet, take digital X-rays at appropriate intervals, and perform a soft-tissue and oral cancer screening across the tongue, floor of mouth, palate and throat.
We also practise watchful waiting. Not every dark spot on an X-ray needs drilling. Where a lesion is early and stable we monitor it with comparative imaging and treat the cause, rather than starting a cycle of restoration and re-restoration that eventually costs the tooth.
Why patients
choose it
Catches problems early
A small filling today instead of a crown or root canal in three years.
Cancer screening
Every examination includes a full soft-tissue screening — early detection transforms survival rates.
Costs less
Prevention is a fraction of the cost of the restorative work it avoids.
Builds records
Comparative photographs and X-rays let us see change over time rather than guess.
Children learn early
A child who is comfortable at the dentist becomes an adult who attends.
Step by step
History & risk assessment
Medical changes, medications, diet and habits — all of which shape your actual risk profile and recall interval.
Clinical examination
Every surface of every tooth, existing restorations, gum charting, jaw joints and bite assessment.
Imaging & screening
Low-dose digital X-rays at evidence-based intervals, plus full oral cancer screening.
Professional hygiene
Ultrasonic and hand scaling, stain removal with air-polishing, and fluoride varnish where indicated.
Plan & recall
A clear written summary of findings, options and costs, plus a recall interval matched to your risk rather than a default six months.
What to
expect after
- No downtime — eat and drink normally straight away.
- Avoid strongly coloured food for a few hours after air-polishing.
- Gums may be slightly tender if there was inflammation; this settles in a day or two.
- If fluoride varnish was applied, avoid hard food and brushing for four hours.
Longer appointments
Forty-five to sixty minutes, because a genuine examination cannot be done in ten.
Minimal intervention
We monitor and remineralise early lesions rather than drilling them reflexively.
Nervous patients welcome
Dr. Whitfield has built much of his practice around patients who dreaded coming in.
Frequently
asked
Do I really need X-rays?+
Not at every visit. Modern digital sensors use a fraction of historic doses, and we take them at intervals set by your individual risk.
I have not been in years — will I be judged?+
No. A significant share of our new patients are returning after long gaps. We start where you are.
How often should I come?+
Between three and twelve months depending on risk. We set that interval with you rather than applying a blanket rule.
When should my child first attend?+
By their first birthday or when the first tooth appears — as a familiarisation visit, not for treatment.