PATIENTS visiting a Bolton dental practice are not just getting their teeth capped and fillings seen to.

Cahill Dental Care Centre in Bolton town centre has introduced a health “MoT” to check up on conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

The practice sees patients every six months — more often than most people would visit their GP — and Dr Michael Cahill says that means he is in a good position to regularly check people’s general health.

He said: “Things can be discovered by examining the mouth. A lot of systemic problems show up in the mouth early on, like diabetes, heart problems, Chrones and problems with the digestive system. One of the big things is oral cancer, its something we can pick up on.

“We’ve spotted it a couple of times. It’s never good news, but is easier to treat early on.

“Blood pressure and the other tests can also be an indicator of health problems. Most patients come to us every six months so we are often the medical profession people see most regularly.

“It makes sense for us to check overall health.”

Patients attending the centre in Higher Bridge Street undergo a 26-point oral health review, looking at mouth health in general, complete a medical questionnaire and have their blood pressure monitored. They also have the option of cholesterol and blood glucose testing.

This can reveal health problems, with patients referred to their GP or the hospital as necessary.

The private practice employs eight staff, and three dental hygienists carry out the health checks.

Debbie Fielding, one of the hygienists, said: “It’s not just about teeth. We look at mouth health and the wellbeing of the patient as a whole.

“We try to cover all the bases while the patient is here and they have been very receptive.”

Betty Longmate, of Westhoughton, has been a patient at the centre since 1995.

She said: “I think it’s a good idea to do general health checks at the dentist. It’s reassuring to know all types of things are being checked.”