Creating a positive experience for young children and dental work is a must for a lifetime of good oral health. The ideal age for a first visit is approximately three years old when all of the baby teeth are in place. Children as young as two are encouraged to tag along with parents to familiarize themselves with the office and the dental chair. If you're looking for children's dentistry in Maple, look no further.

Procedure

The first few appointments are designed to build confidence in your child and will consist only of procedures that they are comfortable with. We want your little one to leave with a smile on their face!

If that means just a ride in the chair, a few smiles, and a picture of their teeth then that is what the first visit will be. Generally, visits start with the hygienist explaining oral care, checking teeth and gums, and even polishing and x-raying the teeth depending on age and cooperation. At the end of the visit the dentist will also check the teeth and gums and will reiterate the job well done.

Children will receive their own toothbrush and be able to choose some stickers. Our goal is to instill good oral hygiene practices at an early age and to prevent future issues before they arise.

Our Dentists and the entire team of Hygienists, Associate Dentists and support staff are committed to making sure your child develops a successful and trusting relationship with our office and the Dentist in general. Our goal is to help your children develop proper oral hygiene and oral care habits. This depends on positive experiences at the dental office so that they feel comfortable keeping their teeth and gums healthy for life.

How We Do It

Right from the beginning we'll show them that coming to the dentist can be fun and exciting. Kids typically love to learn, explore and ask questions. By allowing them to explore and understand dentistry at their pace, much of the fear and apprehension simply fades away, and they start to look forward to their routine appointments. Not only do the appointments become easy for them, but they are very receptive to what they can do at home to help keep their teeth healthy. Even in the healthiest of mouths, it's possible that a cavity or other dental issue can develop. U Shine Dental team is even more focused on making sure that when dental work is necessary, the end result is a happy and satisfied child who retains his/her positive feeling toward the dental office. We usually start off doing the gentlest work first to show them how easy it is.

Fillings and Cavities

Many early cavities can be filled without the need for local anesthetic. When local anesthetic is necessary we tell them stories and keep them relaxed while the freezing sets in. Many children don't even know they received the anesthetic until they feel the sensation in their lips. Our favourite words at the end of any appointment are, that was easier than I thought! As your child jumps out of the chair a high-five from the dentist sends them on their way. At times, it may be necessary to fix several cavities at the same time or remove a baby tooth. For some children this will be a routine procedure, but for others it can cause some anxiety. Our goal though, is always the same. We want to get the treatment completed as successfully as possible while maintaining the positive feeling for the Dentist and our office. In some cases, we will use laughing gas and mild sedation. In more severe cases it's necessary to refer you to our team of pediatric specialists to make sure the positive experience continues.

Special Cases

The specialist's office is geared totally for kids and the environment is completely child friendly. This alone can often reduce anxiety so that laughing gas or sedation may not even be necessary. Our specialists work with anesthetists and can complete the work on your child while they are asleep if necessary. All this is done so that a fear of the dentist doesn't develop and the best possible treatment is performed. Should a referral to our specialists be deemed necessary, we work in close contact to ensure your child is well taken care of. Our specialists also work hard to create a positive environment and make your children feel important and comfortable. If you have any suggestions as to what work best for your child please talk to us about it.

Class Presentation on Dentistry

U Shine Dental team would love to come to your child's school and give a presentation about dentistry for their class. If you're interested in a presentation please ask us for details.

A hygiene maintenance appointment is designed to keep your teeth and gums in optimal condition after any active disease has been addressed. Additional appointments may be necessary if any active treatment needs to be completed.

For example, as a new patient when you come to our office we thoroughly assess your gums. If you are diagnosed with gum or periodontal disease we will recommend that you have treatment to address the active disease.

Once your condition is treated and stable, a specific maintenance schedule will be designed just for you to sustain the treatment, and keep your mouth healthy.

Procedure

At your hygiene maintenance appointment, we update your health history, check your blood pressure, complete a brief oral cancer screening, and assess your teeth and gums. Once a year we measure all of your gums to accurately assess their health. Your teeth will be professionally cleaned, polished and flossed. We also recommend a once yearly fluoride application to help prevent cavities.

On average, routine appointments are recommended every 2-6 months depending on the patient and their specific needs.

These appointments are critical and they allow us to keep a close eye on your health. Keeping up with your hygiene appointments gives us the best chance to detect and treat problems early.

Many patients believe that each time they come in for their hygiene maintenance appointment, a complete examination of their mouth is performed. While we do look around the whole mouth, at the gums, teeth and a brief oral cancer screening; it's mostly obvious signs of problems and earlier concerns that we find and follow up on.

The complete oral exam (COE) is a much more in depth examination and allows for a much more accurate assessment of your oral health.

Procedure

During the COE we specifically examine every aspect of every tooth, the gums and bone around each tooth, the characteristics of your bite and if any changes are occurring. We also perform a more thorough oral cancer, head and neck exam. In addition to the examination of your mouth a COE includes x- rays to allow a proper, complete assessment of your oral health.

Timing

A COE is done for all new patients to the office and for current patients every 5 years unless there is a significant change that needs to be investigated further. Patients under the age of 20 years will receive a COE, although it is typically much less involved.

Why Should I Have A Complete Exam?

Especially for new patients, the COE is our opportunity to really get to know your mouth, and more importantly to get to know you. We want to understand what your goals are for your smile and overall health, so that we can achieve them together. It's the COE that allows us to form a strategy to help keep your teeth strong and healthy for life. The strategy helps us prioritize more urgent treatment and helps us map out a long term vision for success.

As we all age, changes occur. A lot can happen in a 5 year period, and it's important to fully examine your teeth, document any changes that have occurred and decide what action is required.

Your 5 year COE is designed to find and address problems early while they are more manageable or at least determine when they will need to be addressed. This is one of the most critical ways to keep your teeth problem free and allow you to eat and smile with confidence.

Why Should I Have A Complete Exam?

How Often Do I Need X-Rays?

What If I Don't Want X-Rays?

How Much Radiation Do X-Rays Expose Us To?

Is Holistic Dentistry right for you?

What are some of the benefits of holistic or natural dental care?

Does holistic dental care cost more?

Is Holistic Dentistry covered by insurance?

What makes a dental practice holistic?