A comprehensive exam by the dentist, then your cleaning.
The dentist examines the whole mouth first: teeth, gums, bite, and the soft tissue around them. Then the hygienist scales, polishes, and goes through what to change at home — at Yonge & Dundas, one level below the street.
Usually covered by insurance, and billed directly from our desk. At Yonge & Dundas, one level below the street.
- Time
- 40–70 minutes
- Cost
- $181–$301 · usually covered
- Students
- $0 with many student plans
- New patients
- Toothbrush or whitening kit
No judgment here
“It’s been a while.”
Two years? Five? Nobody here is going to tell you off for the gap. If any of these sound familiar, this is the appointment to book.
01
“It’s been more than a year, or you’ve lost count”
02
“Coffee and tea are starting to show”
03
“Gums bleed a little when you floss”
04
“You want someone to look and tell you what’s going on”
The appointment runs the same way regardless: the dentist looks first, then the hygienist cleans, and you hear the findings in between.
A dental mirror, ready for the exam.
What actually happens
What happens, and roughly when.
The cleaning itself runs 40 to 70 minutes. Booked together with the comprehensive exam, which the dentist performs, the whole appointment is about an hour and forty. Here is where that time goes.
01
The exam
The dentist examines the whole mouth, inside and outside, hard tissue and soft: decay, the condition of the gums, the bone supporting the teeth, the bite, and the tissues around them.
02
X-rays, if they’re needed
Periapical, bitewing or panoramic films, when the dentist judges they are needed. They aren’t taken at every visit as a matter of course. The dentist takes them when there is something a clinical look cannot see, and says why before taking them.
03
The reading
The dentist compares what the exam found with what the films show, then goes through both with you. Comparing the two is what makes it a comprehensive exam.
04
Plaque & tartar
The hygienist takes over: scaling above and below the gumline, gum treatment where it is called for, and specific advice on the habits and tools that suit your mouth.
05
Polish & floss
Polishing lifts surface stains and smooths what has just been scaled, and a final floss clears what is left. Not every visit needs polishing, and the hygienist will say so if yours doesn’t.
06
Fluoride, if it’s recommended
A topical fluoride or varnish helps strengthen enamel where the risk of decay is higher. Whether you need it is decided case by case, so it isn’t added to every appointment automatically.
That is the whole appointment, start to finish.
Slots held every morning for pain that can’t wait. Call before noon.
The rhythm
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been.
What a recall visit covers, how long it takes, and when the doors are open.
- 01The recall
- A recall visit picks up any outstanding treatment plan, checks where your gums and teeth stand now, and hears anything new. Usually one to three times a year, on the dentist’s read rather than a fixed schedule.
- 02The visit
- 40–70 minutes in the chair for the cleaning.
- 03The hours
- Open to 8 p.m. every weekday, and the desk answers the phone until we close.
Why it’s worth booking
Problems found while they’re small
A cavity found now is usually a filling. The same tooth left another year can need root canal treatment instead, and that is referred to an endodontist.
Surface stains come off
Polishing takes off the surface stains that coffee, tea and red wine leave behind. That is different from whitening, which changes the colour of the tooth itself.
Gum problems caught in time
Calculus below the gumline cannot be brushed off, and left there it keeps the gums inflamed. Scaling is how it comes off, and the hygienist measures the pockets to see where you stand.
You leave knowing where you stand
At the end the dentist goes through what is healthy, what should be watched, what needs treating, and what it costs. Nothing gets started at that appointment without you agreeing to it.
Proof
Rated 4.7 on Google, from 270 reviews.
“My favourite place! The dental hygienist, reception and Dr are all amazing. Dr. Lana is fantastic and really cares about all her patients.”
“The team was very flexible and made me feel comfortable through all procedures. It is also very affordable compared to other dentists in Ontario.”
- Dr. Lana Douleh — General Dentist · 20+ years
- Dr. Nabil Abbas — General Dentist
- Dr. Gokhan Shevket — General Dentist · 15+ years
The price
What the exam and cleaning cost.
$181–$301
We bill Sun Life, Manulife, Green Shield, Blue Cross and most other plans directly, so you pay the difference, if there is one.
What it costs, line by line
- Typical cost
- $181–$301
- Insurance
- Usually covered · billed directly
- Students
- Often $0 · plan checked before you book
Students
Student plans are billed directly from the desk.
We’re a Studentcare network clinic, and plans from colleges and universities across Ontario are accepted. On the TMU and U of T plans the exam and cleaning come to $0; on any other plan the desk confirms your share before you sit. Check your school’s plan.
The Coverage-First Promise
Coverage checked first
We confirm what your plan pays before anything happens. If we quote $0, it’s $0.
How direct billing works, and the plans we billFor new patients
Leave with the toothbrush, or the whitening kit.
Book a complete exam and cleaning as a new patient and choose one at the desk — an electric toothbrush or a disposable home whitening kit. One or the other, ours to give and yours to keep.
Before you book
What people ask about the exam and cleaning
How much is a cleaning and dental exam?
It runs $181 to $301, and it is usually covered by insurance.
Am I covered as a student?
Student plans from colleges and universities across Ontario are accepted and billed directly, and eligible plan holders often pay $0 for the exam and cleaning. TMU and U of T are the two plans whose arithmetic this site sets out in full; if you are at another school, the desk checks your plan before you book.
Do I have to pay first and claim it back?
No. We bill applicable insurance directly and confirm what your plan pays before treatment.
How long does the visit take?
The cleaning itself runs 40 to 70 minutes. Booked together with the comprehensive exam, allow roughly an hour and forty minutes for the whole appointment.
Who performs the examination?
The dentist. A general dentist performs the comprehensive examination: teeth, gums, bite, existing dental work and the soft tissues of the mouth. The scaling, the polishing and the oral-hygiene instruction are the registered dental hygienist’s, and each works within their own professional scope.
Will I need x-rays?
Not necessarily. X-rays are taken when they are clinically indicated: your history, your symptoms, your risk of decay, the state of the gums and how long it has been since the last films all bear on it. The dentist explains why an x-ray is being taken before taking it.
What happens if the dentist finds something?
The dentist shows you the finding and explains it before any treatment decision is made. You hear the options and the costs before anything begins.
What if it has been a long time since my last cleaning?
Book the normal appointment. The dentist and hygienist work out where things stand now and explain what, if anything, comes next, including whether the cleaning needs to be split across more than one visit.
Book a visit
Book the exam and the cleaning together.
Allow about an hour and forty for both. We are open to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and with an eligible student plan the visit is $0.