We Accept New Patients

Congratulations on the arrival of your baby! Are you prepared for the arrival of your baby’s first tooth?

We are here to establish a dental home for your child so he/she will be on the way to a lifetime of healthy smiles! A dental home is where kids and their parents can get advice and ask questions about the dietary habits that may lead to cavities (including bottle feeding or nursing at night), teething issues, or when to begin using the fluoride toothpaste. We want you to feel at ease when establishing a daily routine of brushing twice a day using a smear layer of fluoride toothpaste.

It’s recommended that you bring your baby in for a visit within six months of the first tooth’s eruption – usually around his or her first birthday. Since decay can occur in even the smallest of teeth, the earlier your baby visits us, the more likely he or she is to avoid problems. We’ll look for any signs of early problems with your baby’s oral health, and check in with you about the best way to care for your little one’s teeth. Remember that preparing for each dental visit with a positive attitude goes a long way toward making your child comfortable with regular checkups

Your child’s baby teeth will continue to erupt until about age three. Then at age 6, the permanent teeth begin erupting and continue until age 21. Healthy baby teeth play a vital role in helping your child develop good chewing habits, speech pronunciation, and spacing for the permanent teeth. As your child’s teeth come in, be sure to examine them every two weeks, looking for lines and discoloration that may be caused by decay. We recommend parents brushing for their children two times a day and floss daily for optimal oral hygiene.

Tooth decay is caused by sugars left in your mouth that turn into an acid, which can break down your teeth. Proper brushing and flossing routines combined with regular dental visits help keep tooth decay away. Your child should visit the dentist every six months for regular dental cleanings and checkups. We recommend fluoride treatments twice a year along with cleanings to keep teeth their strongest.

If cavities develop, we are here to help! We recommend treating cavities for baby teeth to prevent pain, infection and early tooth loss. This may include, white fillings, baby nerve treatment called pulpotomy, stainless steel crowns, or white coloured crowns. We use behaviour management techniques such as nitrous oxide sedation, oral sedation or general anesthesia.

At approximately age 6, your child will start changing teeth; we call this period the mixed dentition stage. Be sure to continue checking your child’s teeth every two weeks, looking for lines and discoloration that may be caused by decay. We recommend parents brush their children’s teeth two times a day and floss daily for optimal oral hygiene, especially reaching to the back permanent first molars.

Dental emergencies such as trauma to the tooth can happen, especially at a young age. For any adult tooth, immediately put the tooth that came out in a cup of milk, and call us right away.

Routine dental exam visits will include examination, taking radiographs, cleaning the teeth and applying fluoride. We will discuss dietary habits, oral hygiene and trauma prevention. If you are playing any contact sports, be sure to ask us about sports guards! Some children will need early orthodontic (braces) evaluation due to the crowding/spacing of the teeth or the way they bite. We will make appropriate referrals to orthodontists/oral surgeons if we find early evaluation and treatment is crucial to your child’s development.

Once all the baby teeth have fallen out, your child will have a full set of 32 permanent teeth including the wisdom teeth. Preventive dental care is important throughout life, but especially during the teenage years when permanent teeth are in the mouth and when orthodontic (braces) treatment are likely happening.

We recommend more frequent dental cleaning if needed while your child is wearing the braces, as we often see gum disease being more prevalent in teenagers.

Gum disease, also known as gingivitis or periodontal disease, is an infection that occurs in the gums, deep tissues, and bones that support the teeth. It can affect children if proper oral health practices aren’t followed. If the disease is not treated, gum disease can ultimately lead to tooth loss.

Our routine dental examination will evaluate orthodontic needs, discuss trauma prevention, and reinforce oral hygiene habits.

Wisdom teeth (permanent third molar) will start bothering some children around age 17, and we will evaluate and provide appropriate referral to the oral surgeons when extractions are recommended.