General Dentistry in Edgware

The foundation of a healthy smile

General dentistry encompasses the routine and preventive care essential for maintaining good oral health. By addressing common issues early, we help patients avoid more complex procedures and costly treatments later on. A six-month check-up (£50) that catches a small area of decay turns into a fifteen-minute filling at around £100; the same problem left for three years often turns into a root canal and a crown costing several times that — and the tooth never recovers the structure it lost in the meantime. That arithmetic is the entire case for routine care.

At Campos Dental in Edgware, we provide comprehensive general dentistry for patients of all ages — from a child’s first check-up through to senior care. Many of our patients have been with us across decades, and most arrive in the first place because they live or work in Edgware, Stanmore, Mill Hill or one of the surrounding North London neighbourhoods and want a steady relationship with one practice rather than a rolling sequence of one-off visits.

What’s included in general dentistry

Routine check-ups and exams

Regular check-ups let us monitor your oral health, screen for cavities, and assess gum health. We catch potential problems early — when they’re cheaper and easier to fix. Examinations include an oral-cancer screen as standard, X-rays where they’re clinically warranted (not as routine), and a written list of anything that needs addressing alongside a clear quote.

Professional cleanings and hygiene

Even the best home-care routine leaves plaque and tartar behind. Professional cleanings remove what brushing and flossing cannot, preventing gum disease and tooth decay. Our full dental hygiene service is led by Justyna and includes AirFlow stain removal as standard. Most patients book a check-up and a hygiene visit at the same six-month cadence.

Tooth-coloured fillings and restorations

Our tooth-coloured fillings are bonded to repair cavities without compromising your smile’s appearance. We use modern composite materials that blend seamlessly with your natural teeth — there’s no clinical reason to place new amalgam (“silver”) fillings in 2026, and we haven’t done so for years.

Oral cancer screenings

Early detection of oral cancer dramatically improves outcomes. We perform a quick oral cancer screen as part of every routine examination — a careful visual and tactile check of the lips, cheeks, tongue, floor of the mouth, palate and tonsillar area. It takes a couple of minutes and is included, not charged separately. Most things we find are entirely benign; the point of doing it every time is so that anything that isn’t is found early.

Children’s dentistry

Gentle, friendly care tailored to our youngest patients — designed to build positive dental habits and stop fear before it starts. Full detail on our children’s dentistry service, including fissure sealants, fluoride varnish and the children’s dental plan from £5/month.

What we screen for at every check-up

Patients sometimes ask what a check-up actually involves beyond a quick look in the mouth. Here’s the working list — most of it happens in a steady, unhurried sequence over around thirty minutes, and most patients only really notice three or four of these going by.

• Decay. A visual and tactile check of every tooth surface, supplemented by bitewing X-rays at appropriate intervals to spot cavities developing between teeth where the eye can’t reach.
• Gum health. Inflammation, recession, bleeding on probing and the early signs of gum disease. Pocket depths measured where any concern is flagged.
• Oral cancer screening. Lips, cheeks, tongue, floor of the mouth, palate, tonsillar pillars. Any ulcer, lump or patch that’s been present for more than two or three weeks is investigated.
• Bite and occlusion. How your upper and lower teeth meet, evidence of grinding or clenching, wear patterns on the chewing surfaces. Worth catching early — uneven bite forces fracture teeth and old fillings over time.
• Existing restorations. Margins of crowns, edges of fillings, integrity of any veneers or bridgework. Old work that’s failing is best replaced before it fails catastrophically.
• Jaw joint (TMJ). Click, lock, pain on opening, tenderness around the masseters. Most patients with TMJ symptoms didn’t know that’s what they were dealing with until someone asked the question.
• Soft tissues. The inside of the cheeks, the floor of the mouth, the tongue — common sites for benign findings and the occasional more serious one.
• Aesthetics and concerns. What you’d change if you could, what’s been bothering you, what you’d like to discuss. We work to your priorities, not a script.

First visit to Campos — what to expect

The first visit is where most of the work goes, and it’s the appointment that sets the tone for everything that follows.

You’re asked to arrive ten minutes before your appointment to complete a medical history form — or fill it in online before you come, if you prefer. Then it’s the clinical examination above — checking the teeth, gums, bite, jaw joint and soft tissues — at an unhurried pace. We take any X-rays that clinical findings warrant and may take photographs if there’s anything we’d want to show you or refer back to at future visits. Then we sit you up and talk through what we’ve found, what (if anything) needs addressing, what we’d recommend and why, the alternatives, and a clear written quote for any treatment. You take that home. Nothing is booked on the day unless you specifically want it to be.

Paying as you go, a new-patient examination is £65, a routine recall examination is £50 per visit, and a children’s examination is £25. The adult dental plan at £21.50/month is a different proposition: the two recall examinations a year are included — £100 of exam value on their own — and that’s before you count the two hygiene visits the plan also covers, or the 10% discount it adds to any further treatment. For anyone planning to make Campos their long-term practice, the maths comes out comfortably in favour of the plan.

Prevention is everything

Prevention is the heart of our general dentistry service. At every visit, we offer personalised advice on brushing, flossing and dietary choices that support long-term oral health. The right routine at home, combined with regular professional care, means fewer fillings, fewer extractions and a healthier mouth for life — and the lowest possible lifetime cost of dental care.

Make general dentistry affordable

Our adult dental plan from £21.50/month covers two check-ups, two hygiene visits and 10% off any further treatment — predictable, preventative care without surprises. Children’s plans start at £5/month, teen plans at £10/month. See our plans → — or for treatment over £350, 0% finance through Chrysalis is available over up to twelve months.

Book your first appointment

If you’re new to Edgware, moving from another practice, or simply haven’t had a check-up in too long, we’d be glad to see you. Get in touch to book — and please mention if it’s been a while, or if you’re nervous, so we can give you the slot and the time you actually need.

Further reading from the blog

• Why regular dental check-ups matter more than you think — what’s actually examined in a 30-minute check-up, the small-problem-became-big examples, and the maths of the dental plan vs pay-as-you-go.
• Mouth cancer screening: what we look for at every check-up — the full screening protocol that’s part of every routine examination, the warning signs to watch for between visits, and the two-week-wait referral pathway.