Dental checkups & cleanings in London, ON

What a checkup at Smilo includes

A typical visit combines a thorough exam with a professional teeth cleaning. We’ll assess your teeth, gums, and bite, take digital X-rays when needed, and show you exactly what we see on screen — no jargon, no mystery.

The dental cleaning itself is done by our hygienist, Yenna Kim. We book enough time for a teeth cleaning that nobody has to hurry it.

• Plaque and tartar removal — gentle scaling in the spots your toothbrush can’t reach.
• Gum care — checking and cleaning along the gumline to help prevent gum disease.
• Teeth polishing — a smooth finish that lifts surface stains and helps slow new buildup.
• Practical hygiene coaching — brushing, flossing, and diet advice tailored to your mouth, not a pamphlet.

Checkups for every age

Children benefit from early, positive visits — typically starting between ages one and three — so the dentist never becomes a scary place. Teens get help protecting teeth through orthodontics and sports. Adults and seniors get an early-warning system for decay, gum disease, and wear, when treatment is still simple.

If you are booking for a child, our page on children’s dentistry covers what a first visit looks like. Families are welcome to book together.

How often should you come in?

For most people, every six months is the sweet spot. It is not an arbitrary number: six months is roughly how long it takes for a small problem to become one you can feel, so it is the interval that catches things while they are still cheap and simple to deal with.

Some people need to come more often — if you are managing gum disease, if you get cavities easily, if you smoke, or during pregnancy. A few can safely go longer. We will tell you which you are and why, rather than defaulting everyone to the same schedule.

What we’re actually looking for

A checkup is not just a hunt for cavities. Most of it is looking for the things that are easier to fix early:

• Decay, including between teeth where it does not show until an X-ray
• Gum health — bleeding, pocketing and recession, which are the early stages of something that eventually loosens teeth
• Cracks, wear and grinding, which often show up long before they hurt
• Failing old fillings and crowns, where decay can start underneath unnoticed
• An oral cancer check — a quick look at the soft tissues, tongue and throat. Rarely discussed, routinely done, and the reason regular visits matter beyond your teeth

We will show you what we find on screen. If something needs doing you will get the reason and the cost in writing, and if nothing needs doing we will say that too.

If it’s been a long time

A lot of people put off booking because of how long it has been, then put it off further for the same reason. If that is you: the first visit is an exam and a conversation, we will tell you honestly what we find, and we will put together a plan you can work through in an order and a timeframe that suits you. There is no lecture, and there is usually far less to do than people have convinced themselves.

If it is nerves rather than time, our page on dental anxiety and sedation sets out how we plan around it. Say so when you book.

Cost and insurance

Checkup and cleaning costs in Ontario follow the provincial fee guide, and what you pay depends on what your visit actually includes — how much cleaning is needed, and whether X-rays are due. You will know before we start.

Most insurance plans cover preventive care well, because insurers would rather fund a cleaning than a crown. We direct-bill where we can, and we are a participating Canadian Dental Care Plan provider.

Common questions

How long does a checkup and cleaning take?

Allow a little longer than you might expect, particularly for a first visit, which includes a full examination as well as the cleaning. If it has been a while since your last clean it can take longer, simply because there is more to do. We would rather take the time than rush it.

Do I need X-rays every time?

No. X-rays are taken when they are needed rather than automatically at every visit, and how often depends on your age, your risk of decay and what we can already see. They matter because decay between teeth and problems under existing fillings are invisible to the eye. Ours are digital, which uses a lower dose than film.

My gums bleed when I brush. Is that normal?

Common, but not normal, and it is worth mentioning rather than ignoring. Bleeding usually means the gums are inflamed, which is the earliest and most reversible stage of gum disease. Caught early it often responds to a professional clean and a change in how you clean at home. Left for years it becomes the thing that loosens teeth. This is one of the best reasons not to skip visits.

When should my child first see a dentist?

Earlier than most people assume — generally between one and three. The first visits are deliberately short and low-key, and they are as much about the child learning that the dentist is an ordinary, unfrightening place as they are about their teeth. Starting early is the single best thing you can do to stop dental anxiety forming.

Will you tell me off if I haven’t been in years?

No. You would be amazed how often we are asked this, and the answer is genuinely no. People have gaps for all sorts of reasons — cost, nerves, moving, life. We are interested in what we can do from here, not in what happened before. Coming back after a long absence is the good decision, not the thing to apologise for.