Catch decay early so its easy to treat. A full examination includes a cancer screening, inspection of hard and soft tissues, inside and outside the mouth. Often we need to do a thorough cleaning in order to assess the teeth properly. X rays are often needed too as now the outer shell of the teeth , the enamel, can be very hard and fluoridated so will not break down as readily. This would seem to be great news except if the decay gets in through an inaccessible area and the tooth can rot from the inside out. This means that by the time the tooth collapses and the decay becomes obvious it is very hard to treat. Much better to get an x-ray and catch any decay so as to minimise any necessary treatment.