It is important to start early with dental care for your children.  By starting at the appropriate time your child will learn that visiting a dentist is a regular part of caring for their health.  The Canadian Dental Association recommends that a childs first visit to the dentist be by age 1 or within 6 months after their first tooth has erupted.

Parents should always try to make going to the dentist the most positive experience possible for their children.  If you are a parent that experiences dental anxiety it may be a good idea for your spouse or another family member to take your child to their appointment.  You should also try to inform your child, in advance, of what the visit will be like.  Try to avoid mentioning pain or being scared so as to keep the experience as positive as possible.

Feel free to contact us with further questions about your childs first visit or about starting at home  dental care for your child.

It is important to get you and your child in the habit of cleaning their teeth.  As infants and young children they are not able to clean their teeth and/or mouths themselves so it is up to you as their parent to be sure their baby (primary) teeth have a clean place to grow into.  It is important to clean and wipe all parts of your baby's gums and/or teeth.

Before your baby has teeth you can use a baby brush or a clean, damp washcloth to wipe your baby's gums.  Be sure to avoid using toothpaste until your child's teeth have erupted.

Your child is susceptible to tooth decay as soon as he or she has teeth.  Tooth decay is cause by the teeth being exposed to sugars for long periods of time.  Mother's milk, formula, and fruit juice all contain sugars and if a child falls asleep with any of these in their mouth they can get early tooth decay.

Be sure to check your child's teeth regularly for dull spots or darkening of teeth.  If you see any signs of tooth decay be sure to visit the dentist immediately to avoid your child experiencing pain or infection.

Brushing our teeth removes food particles, plaque, and bacteria from all tooth surfaces, except in between the teeth.  Unfortunately, our toothbrush can’t reach these areas that are highly susceptible to decay and periodontal (gum) disease.

Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline.  Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.

Plaque is a sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the teeth.  It is a growing colony of living bacteria, food debris, and saliva.  The bacteria produce toxins (acids) that cause cavities and irritate and inflame the gums.  Also, when plaque is not removed above and below the gumline, it hardens and turns into calculus (tartar).  This will further irritate and inflame the gums and also slowly destroy the bone.  This is the beginning of periodontal disease.

How to floss properly:

• Take 12-16 inches (30-40cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
• Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
• Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline.  Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.

Floss holders are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss.

Daily flossing will help you keep a healthy, beautiful smile for life!

Although thorough brushing and flossing remove most food particles and bacteria from easy to reach tooth surfaces, they do not reach the deep grooves on chewing surfaces of teeth. More than 75 percent of dental decay begins in these deep grooves (called pits and fissures). Toothbrush bristles are too large to possibly fit and clean most of these areas. This is where sealants play an important role.

A sealant is a thin plastic coating that covers and protects the chewing surfaces of molars, premolars, and any deep grooves or pits on teeth. Sealant material forms a protective, smooth barrier covering natural depressions and grooves in the teeth, making it much easier to clean and help keep these areas free of decay.

Who may need sealants?

Children and teenagers - As soon as the six-year molars (the first permanent back teeth) appear or any time throughout the cavity prone years of 6-16.

Infants - Baby teeth are occasionally sealed if the teeth have deep grooves and the child is cavity prone.

Adults - Tooth surfaces without decay that have deep grooves or depressions that are difficult to clean.

Sealants are easily applied by your dentist or dental hygienist and the process only takes minutes per tooth. After the chewing surfaces are roughened with an acid solution that helps the sealant adhere to the tooth, the sealant material is “painted” onto the tooth surface, where it hardens and bonds to the teeth. Sometimes a special light will be used to help the sealant material harden.

After sealant treatment, it’s important to avoid chewing on ice cubes, hard candy, popcorn kernels, or any hard or sticky foods. Your sealants will be checked for wear and chipping at your regular dental check-up.

Combined with good home care, a proper diet, and regular dental check-ups, sealants are very effective in helping prevent tooth decay.

We’re all at risk for having a tooth knocked out.  More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year!  If we know how to handle this emergency situation, we may be able to actually save the tooth.  Teeth that are knocked out may be possibly reimplanted if we act quickly, yet calmly, and follow these simple steps:

1. Locate the tooth and handle it only by the crown (chewing part of the tooth), NOT by the roots.
2. DO NOT scrub or use soap or chemicals to clean the tooth.  If it has dirt or debris on it, rinse it gently with your own saliva or whole milk.  If that is not possible, rinse it very gently with water.
3. Get to a dentist within 30 minutes.  The longer you wait, the less chance there is for successful reimplantation.

Ways to transport the tooth

• Try to replace the tooth back in its socket immediately.  Gently bite down on gauze, a wet tea bag or on your own teeth to keep the tooth in place.  Apply a cold compress to the mouth for pain and swelling as needed.
• If the tooth cannot be placed back into the socket, place the tooth in a container and cover with a small amount of your saliva or whole milk.  You can also place the tooth under your tongue or between your lower lip and gums.  Keep the tooth moist at all times.  Do not transport the tooth in a tissue or cloth.
• Consider buying a “Save-A-Tooth” storage container and keeping it as part of your home first aid kit.  The kit is available in many pharmacies and contains a travel case and fluid solution for easy tooth transport.

The sooner the tooth is replaced back into the socket, the greater the likelihood it has to survive and possibly last for many years.  So be prepared, and remember these simple steps for saving a knocked-out tooth.

You can prevent broken or knocked-out teeth by:

• Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports
• Always wearing your seatbelt
• Avoiding fights
• Avoid chewing hard items such as ice, popcorn kernels, hard breads, etc.

Within 15-20 minutes of taking the medication, the patient feels very comfortable and relaxed and anxiety usually becomes minimized.  A small percentage of patients may experience a "paradoxical effect" and can become hyperactive.

Once the medication takes effect, treatment will begin as per usual.  Although the patient does not usually sleep, vital signs are monitored closely during the procedure.

Patients are conscious and are able to respond appropriately to verbal commands and physical stimulation.

The new Federal and Provincial Privacy Acts, do not allow insurance companies to provide us with the following information.  It is your responsibility to keep track of:

• Intervals for recalls (ie. 6 months, 9 months, 1 year)
• Annual maximums
• Policy number changes
• Calendar or fiscal year
• Dental coverage

Payment can be made by cash, debit card, Visa or Mastercard, or cheque.

If you have dental insurance, we will submit your claim electronically.

For larger amounts we offer Medicard payment plans OAC.  You must be approved by Medicard before treatment begins.  Application forms are available at our office.