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Let us be your dental home

Let us be your dental home

What is a dental home?

A dental home is defined by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) as “the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible, coordinated, and family-centered way.” Having a dental home is analogous to having a regular family physician for routine concerns.

When should a dental home be established?

It is generally recommended to establish a dental home before your child’s first birthday. We will gladly see your children age 3 and under at no cost so that we can help establish good habits early.


Does my child have to have teeth to see a dentist?

No, it is not necessary for your child to have teeth to be seen by a dentist! We would love to see your baby and help you prepare for when it’s teething time.

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Do I really need x-rays?

Do I really need x-rays?

X-rays are an important diagnostic tool. As part of routine dental care, small x-rays of your teeth are taken. When we look at your teeth, we can only see the front, back, and tops of them. X-rays are needed to see the sides of the tooth as well as the roots of the teeth. Sometimes you may also need a full mouth x-ray. This bigger x-ray allows us to see you jaw and sinuses to check for any anomalies and also allows us to look at your wisdom teeth. Unless an x-ray is taken, some of your dental needs may be missed.

A full exam is also important to check your dental health. X-rays are an adjunct to your exam and allow the dentist to make a complete diagnosis. When taking x-rays we try to achieve exposure that is as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). If you have been to another dentist and have received recent x-rays, we will always ask for you to have them forwarded to us. This is to reduce your exposure as much as possible. However, x-ray exposure is considerably lower than it was in the past as most dental offices now take digital x-rays. Your dentist will tell you if it is recommended for you to have x-rays taken at your appointment.

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How much toothpaste should I use?

How much toothpaste should I use?

Depending on age, different amounts of toothpaste are recommended for your child. As well as how much toothpaste to use, proper brushing technique is just as important. When you come in for a visit, the dentist can show you how! The following are the recommended amounts of toothpaste to use for different ages:

  • Infants (0-3 yrs): Rice grain-sized or smear
  • Children (3-6 yrs): Pea-sized or less
  • 6+ and adults: Pea-sized

Regular brushing is important to remove any food or plaque on your teeth. It is also important to come in for regular check-ups and cleanings so that we can make sure you are using the right techniques for you.

@chameleondent

How much fluoride toothpaste should children use? #pediatricdentist #kwdentist #foryoupage #dentalhygiene #fluoride

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

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Preventing a toothache with routine care

Preventing a toothache with routine care

Do you attend the dentist when you are in pain, or when you are concerned about a tooth? Or do you attend regularly and come in for cleans? There are two types of appointments that we regularly see in the dental clinic. One is routine appointments, and the other is symptomatic or emergency care.

Routine care

Regular or routine care generally consists of yearly dental check-ups and professional cleaning twice a year. Everyone is different, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all regimen for care. Before routine maintenance can begin, you will need to come for a full exam in order for us to look at your teeth and assess your needs.

After required treatment, routine care may look like the following:

  • Visit 1: Check-up, x-rays (if needed), clean.
  • Visit 2: Clean

This cycle repeats as long as there are no dental issues of concern.

Symptomatic or emergency care

If you are waiting until you have teeth that cause you pain, this is considered symptomatic or emergency care. Depending on when you come in, treatment will vary.

If you come in as soon as you start experiencing pain, it is more likely that treatment will be simpler and cheaper. If you have had a toothache for weeks, or on and off for months, or sometimes if the pain has mysteriously disappeared, this could mean that more advance treatment is required. Your dentist can discuss options for the tooth after a diagnosis can be made.

So what typically happens at an emergency appointment? In order to address your chief complaint in a timely manner, the dentist will look specifically at the concerned tooth or area and may take x-rays if needed. We will do our best to get you out of pain at this appointment, but usually a follow-up appointment is needed. At the follow-up appointment, treatment is continued. We recommend also having a full exam to make sure the rest of your teeth are healthy. Your dentist will need to complete a full exam in order to determine if other work is required.

Is it ever too late to come in for routine care?

It is never too late to come in for regular care! Everyone has their reasons for why they were not coming in for regular treatment. The most important thing is to have all of your dental issues addressed so that you can continue on with routine care. We want to educate so that everyone can make their own informed decisions about dental treatment. Routine care is also significantly cheaper, so coming in regularly will be easier on your wallet.

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What is a Pediatric Dentist?

What is a Pediatric Dentist

In Ontario, a pediatric dentist (sometimes written as “paediatric” dentist or “pedodontist”) is a licensed dentist who has completed at least 2 years of additional training after dental school AND holds a pediatric dental license from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO).  The RCDSO is responsible for credentialing and licensing all dentists holding general or specialty titles. The RCDSO credentialing process ensures that the training of the dentist is consistent with the standards outlined by the organization.

The extra training required for pediatric dentistry is a residency program where the dentists limit their practice to the treatment of children of all abilities.  Throughout the pediatric residency, dentists learn about advanced behaviour management, pediatric growth and development, special health care needs, and childhood pathologies.  At the end of the program, pediatric dentists are awarded a certificate.  Some residency programs in pediatric dentistry may also offer a master’s degree.

What is the difference between a pediatric dentist and a “certified pediatric dentist”?

There is no difference between a pediatric dentist and a certified pediatric dentist. The two are interchangeable because all practitioners permitted to designate themselves as pediatric dentists have passed the Canadian specialist exam and are certified by the RCDSO. In Ontario, only pediatric dentists with appropriate credentials will be able to provide sedation to young children (<13 years old), and advanced levels of sedation such as moderate sedation. Providers who are able to administer sedatives has a certificate registered with RCDSO. A few common descriptors that practices will use because they cannot call their dentists pediatric specialists include: “kids dentist”, a dentist whose practice is “limited to children”, “pediatric focused dentists”, “dentist with years of experience treating children”.

Can general dentists see children?

Yes!  All dentists have experience treating children in school, and some general dentists actually prefer to treat children!  In contrast, there are some dentists who prefer NOT to treat children.

How will I know if my dentist is a specialist?

Some practices will list pediatric dentistry in their description BUT not pediatric dentist. Only specialists can call themselves a pediatric dentist in Ontario. All dentists licensed in Ontario must prominently display their current certificate to practice AND have their credentials publicly listed on the RCDSO registry.  You can search for your dentist on the registry here: https://www.rcdso.org/en-ca/find-a-dentist