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What is it?
Pediatric Dentistry is a specialty field in dentistry that provides both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs.
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What is a Pediatric Dentist?
Pediatric dentists have specialized dental training and skills unique to infants, children, adolescents and those with special health care needs. We are specially trained to establish trust and confidence in your child at the dental office through skills in behaviour guidance. With many years of hospital training, pediatric dentists are well trained in treating pediatric dental emergencies such as dental and oro-facial trauma. They are also knowledgeable in the dental care of medically and developmentally compromised and disabled patients. A Pediatric Dentist is also trained in the supervision of orofacial growth and development to ensure your child’s teeth and jaw are growing normally and teeth are grow in straight.
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Why should my child see a Pediatric Dentist?
Specialized Training
Pediatric dentists are specialists in understanding dental needs of infants, toddlers, school-age children, and adolescents. We are your pediatric dental specialist ensuring your child grows into adulthood with excellent oral health and appropriate dental growth and development.
Communication
Pediatric dentists specifically study child psychology enabling them to communicate with children in an effective, gentle and non-threatening manner. Our clinic is culturally kid friendly. Building your child’s trust and confidence at the dentist at a young age is what we do best!
Our initiative is to establish a dental home for your child to ensure excellent oral health
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When should my child see a Pediatric Dentist?
The first dental check-up is recommended when your child grows their first tooth or by their first birthday. The first check-up gives both the Pediatric Dentist and the parent an opportunity to work together and review their child’s oral health. Early detection and management of oral conditions will improve your child’s overall oral health and well-being.
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Why are baby teeth important?
Dental disease can have a serious effect on children such as causing pain; interfere with sleep; affect concentration and attendance at school; influence nutrition, growth and development; and create social barriers. Removing baby teeth too earlier on can results in shifting of baby teeth creating problems for the adult teeth to come in. As a result, expertise from our Pediatric Dentists will provide your child with optimal oral health care.
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My child needs dental treatment but has dental anxiety
What is Behaviour Guidance?
Pediatric dentists are specially trained to understand the continuum of interaction involving the dentist, the dental team, the child and the parent. The goal of behavioural guidance is to establish good communication with your child and alleviate fear and anxiety to deliver quality dental care. We pride ourselves with our ability to communicate with children. We help build their trust and confidence at the dentist enabling them to have dental treatment completed in the dental chair without the need of sedation or general anesthesia.
What is Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen Sedation?
This technique is commonly known as the use of “laughing gas” or “happy air.” Your child may require more support through dental treatment due to fear and anxiety. This technique has a long-term evidence-based safety record that is effective in calming a child during dental treatment. Your child will be able to play and complete daily activities normally right after dental treatment.
What is Mild to Moderate Sedation?
A child’s heightened fear and anxiety can be reduced with the use of oral medications. Your child will be appropriately fasted before drinking the oral medication. The oral medication will help your child feel calm and safe throughout dental treatment. Your child will be awake but sleepy. Our professional pediatric dental team will be carefully monitoring your child throughout dental treatment. The pediatric dental team normally includes a pediatric dentist (FRCD(C)), registered dental assistants (RDA), and a registered nurse (RN).
What is General Anesthesia?
Your child may need to be fast asleep for dental treatment to be performed safely, efficiently and effectively. A young child may not be able to cope and cooperate for extensive dental treatment in the dental chair. Under general anesthesia, your child is fast asleep for dental treatment in an accredited surgical facility such as the Alberta Children’s Hospital or a non-hospital surgical facility. Your child’s overall health is of utmost importance to us. Every effort is made to ensure your child leaves our office safe with a positive view of dentistry.
Our team’s proactive approach fosters overall health care to the highest of standards. The use of general anesthesia is a safe and effective way to establishing a safe environment for your child needing extensive dental treatment.
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My child needs dental treatment
What is a dental filling?
A dental filling help restore teeth damaged by decay back to their normal function and can prevent further decay. Our Pediatric Dentist will consider several factors when choosing which type of filling material is best for your child. These factors will include the extent of repair needed, and location of the tooth.
What is a dental extraction?
A dental extraction means to have a tooth removed, usually because of dental infection, trauma or crowding issues. The goal of a dental extraction is to remove the source of infection or alleviate possible future crowding related concerns.
What is a stainless-steel crown?
Your child may have a tooth that have a large dental cavity. Baby molars are important in children for chewing, speech and management of the space needed for adult teeth to grow into the mouth. These baby molars are typically in the mouth until your child is 9 to 12 years old. If your child has a very large cavity on a baby molar at a very young age, we would recommend a stainless-steel crown to preserve your child’s ability to eat and prevent future dental pain and infection.
Stainless-steel is a safe and biocompatible alloy material. It is strong, durable and malleable and does not fracture. Evidence-based literature has shown stainless-steel crowns are the most durable material for back baby molars with extensive dental decay.
What is a Zirconia “white” crown?
Zirconia is a metal and ceramic like material that is extremely durable with a natural white color. Zirconia “white” crowns are pre-fabricated crowns used mainly to restore front teeth that have significant dental decay. They offer a natural look with good biocompatibility.
Zirconia crowns are also available for back baby molars. However, there are many factors, such as your child’s risk for dental decay, before considering your child’s eligibility for this procedure.
What is a Composite “white” crown?
Composite resin is a tooth colored filling material. A clear plastic tooth form is used to adapt composite resin completely around the tooth after the decay is removed. They offer a natural look with good biocompatibility.
What is a pulpotomy?
A pulpotomy, also known as vital pulp therapy, is required for a tooth when dental decay has extended deep into the tooth and the pulpal tissue inside the tooth are mildly swollen. The procedure requires the removal of the swollen pulpal tissue inside the tooth pulp chamber, an application of a medicament and to cover the tooth with a full coverage restoration to protect the tooth and improve your child’s ability to eat and function without pain.
What is a pulpectomy?
A pulpectomy, also known as a “baby root canal treatment,” is a procedure to remove infected or diseased pulpal tissue from the tooth. The goal of the procedure is to save a strategically important tooth. It is typically done in baby teeth to prevent dental pain and to preserve the baby tooth to provide appropriate future space for the adult tooth.
What is a root canal treatment?
A root canal treatment in permanent teeth, also known as adult teeth, is a procedure to remove infected or diseased pulpal tissue from the entire tooth. It is typically done to preserve the life of the tooth to restore function.
What is silver diamine fluoride?
Silver diamine fluoride, also known as “SDF,” is a non-invasive procedure by simple application to teeth with dental cavities. The SDF hardens the area of decay and turns it black. The goal of SDF is to slow down the progression of the decay until we can permanently restore the tooth.
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My child may need braces in the future
What is a space maintainer?
When a baby molar is lost prematurely, it is often necessary to hold the teeth on either side of the missing tooth to prevent shifting and space closure. If the space is not maintained, the adult teeth underneath the baby molar can become impacted. The type of space maintainer used is dependent upon your child’s age, number of teeth lost and the stage of development.
What is a palatal expander?
During growth and development, a child can develop a posterior crossbite due to narrowing of the upper jaw. This narrowing of the upper jaw can result in teeth crowding and poor alignment of teeth. To improve your child’s jaw development and facial growth, a palatal expander is one of the steps to help ease your child into having straighter teeth. Timing of using the appliance is important to maximize changes during growth.
What is a Habit Appliance?
Finger or thumb-sucking, and other oral habits usually stop with gentle parental persuasion. In some cases, a prolonged habit can contribute to crooked or crowded teeth and jaw problems. If there is difficulty in stopping the habit by age 4 to 6, a mouth appliance may be recommended by our Pediatric Dentists.
How do I know if my child needs braces?
As your child grows, we are supervising your child’s craniofacial growth and development which also includes the alignment of teeth. If there are dental concerns related to possible future malocclusion that can affect your child’s function, we will be working closely with an orthodontist to ensure optimal care for your child. We understand the guidance of eruption and development of the dentition is an integral component of comprehensive oral health care for all pediatric dental patients. We will facilitate and make your child’s orthodontic care a smooth process.
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Your child’s dental home starts here!
