Like human dental appointments, we would start by performing an oral exam to evaluate all soft tissue structures. Next, we will obtain full-mouth x-rays to evaluate the health of the bone of the jaw as well as the bone surrounding each tooth including the tooth roots below the gumline. Then, we probe each periodontal space to check for abnormal pocketing between the teeth and the gums. We clean every side of each tooth with our ultrasonic scaler to remove dental plaque and tartar, and follow up with thorough polishing of each tooth.