Treating Children
We love children and understand the challenges of dental health in family life, as both dentists have children of their own. We believe all children should have a permanent “dental home”.
Following recommendations from the Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, The Canadian Dental Association, and Health Canada, we recommend that a child be assessed by age one, when the first few teeth are coming through. We look forward to welcoming our newest patients and setting a positive tone for the decades to come!. Our first visit is designed around listening to a parent’s/caregiver’s questions and concerns, providing a careful yet brief examination, and screening for problems like early childhood cavities. It’s generally a “happy visit”. We visualize new and arriving teeth, discuss childhood risks for trauma or injury, review night-time/feeding habits and nutrition, check for normal oral-facial growth and development and answer any and all questions.
As an entire team, our goal is to keep your child cavity-free for their lifetime and experience a pleasing smile. “Cavity-free for a lifetime” begins with the notion that everyone must look out for a child’s oral care and total welfare and understand that most dental disease is preventable. We are concerned about the significant increase in Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in children ages 2-5, one of the most common diseases in children. Also known as baby bottle caries, baby bottle tooth decay and bottle rot, it is a very common bacterial infection characterized by severe decay in the teeth of infants and children. As an infectious disease, a primary microbiological agent is known and is sometimes transmitted by caregivers. Customized dental care and early intervention are strategies that assist our newest patients receive the earliest interventions when necessary. We also refer to local trusted pediatric specialists should needs exist for additional support with sedation.
Our dentists are also available on-call (403-242-5777) should there be a dental emergency with your children that you need advice about (after hours number provided on regular telephone line).
Also owing to the longevity of this dental practice in the SW community, we see four generations of patients at any given time and appreciate subtle clinical clues between family members that may influence the course of any given treatment or preventive strategy. We also commonly schedule siblings at the same time for visits and this usually helps orient them towards better home care, encourages accountability and reduces anxiety.
The internet is home to many incredible resources for parents and children related to topics like teething, feeding, pacifier use, normal care and pregnancy and we recommend spending time to learn about best practices, prevention, and what works for you!
Useful Websites Related to Children’s Oral Health:
