Most children have all of their primary (baby) teeth by age two. So it is recommended that the dental visit be between the ages of two and one half and three years of age.

Primary (or baby) teeth act as natural spaces for the permanent teeth. If lost prematurely, the other baby teeth drift into spaces and block the erupting permanent tooth out. The presence of primary tooth also allows for the underlying permanent tooth to develop at a normal rate

Your child's jaw grows larger to accommodate the new molars that erupt behind the baby molar.

The addition of fluoride to your child's diet largely depends on his/her home care, how regular his/her dental recare appointments are and what his/her diet is like. Some of the food and drinks children consume contain fluoride and therefore if a child does not appear to be prone to cavities, a fluoride application at his/her dental office once every six months is all that is required.

Periodontal disease is a disease of the tooth-supporting structures (gum and bone) that unfortunately affects close to 95% of the adult population. Because there is usually no pain, it is a very deceptive disease. Without timely treatment, periodontal disease can lead to premature loss of teeth. Tooth loss from periodontal disease is the number one reason for adult tooth loss. Periodontal treatment can be avoided with proper preventive maintenance.

Your gums will bleed when you bush and floss. They may be red, swollen and tender. Your gums may have shrunk away from your teeth and your teeth may feel loose and sensitive. Oral malodour may also be present.

Daily flossing and brushing twice a day with a soft toothbrush can certainly help. Regular visits to your dental hygienist to have the tartar (also know as calculus) removed from your teeth will also arrest the progression of this disease. Many adults see their hygienist every three to four months to have the tartar removed as it may take that time for the bacteria to colonize, produce toxins and start to destroy the bone.

What does my dental insurance cover?

Your employer should provide you with a booklet describing your dental benefits; if you bring it in we would be happy to let you know what your coverage is. Without this booklet it is difficult for the office personnel to know exactly what your specific coverage is. There are hundreds of policies and since they are an agreement between your employer and the insurance carrier they are all very different.
 

Procedures that we are not sure of can always be predetermined.
Your employer and the insurance carrier (i.e. great West Life, Manulife, Sunlife) discuss which services are to be covered. The decision is based on how much your employer (or employees) want to spend on your insurance plan.

Assignment of benefits without collecting the co-insurance balance is fraud.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium cylinders that are placed in the bone to simulate a missing root structure. After healing, an artificial tooth is placed onto the cylinder to re-establish function and aesthetics.

An implant stabilizes:

1) the bone structure in the extraction site and
2) the bite by preventing surrounding teeth from tipping and drifting into space.

What is involved in teeth whitening?

First dental impressions are taken of your teeth. The models we make from these impressions are sent to the laboratory and special custom fit trays are made. These trays are thin plastic and are used to hold the whitening gel against your teeth. A supply of whitening gel is given to you along with instructions on use and care.

Two hours per day for a period of two weeks is the suggested usage, followed by periodic "touch-ups" according to your lifestyle (i.e. coffee, tea, other staining foods and smoking).

Studies have shown that some of the population may experience some sensitivity but the solutions provided have proven to be very safe.

The tooth whitening kits that you receive from your dentist have solutions of a stronger concentration than those in the store or on television. Your dentist crafts custom fits trays to provide a close, sustained contact with the whitener as opposed to the one-size-fits-all tray found in the over the counter products which tend to leak. You may purchase many refills of the weaker solution and never get the desired results. If the procedure is not closely monitored by a professional, gum problems may arise.

A porcelain veneer is a thin layer of hard porcelain that takes on the desired look, shape and colour required for your smile.

They are bonded on to the front of your existing teeth with the use of special resin cement.

This is one of the more common purposes. Porcelain veneers are very versatile and not only can close spaces, but they can lengthen your teeth, straighten the look of your teeth and whiten your teeth. They can accomplish just about whatever you desire your smile to look like.

Usually two visits. During the first visit the outer surface of the enamel is modified and an impression of your teeth is taken. Once the laboratory returns the veneers, in a week to ten days, you return to seat (cement) the veneers.

Almost anyone! Anyone who would like an improvement in the appearance of their smile and possess a good level of oral hygiene.

Porcelain veneers can easily last ten years or more. Most do last much longer. It depends though, on a variety of factors such as habits and oral hygiene.

Yes there are. If you only want to straighten your teeth, then braces are the preferred option. You could whiten your teeth after the braces come off as well. If porcelain veneers are too involved for you, then some minor contouring and bonding could give you an attractive new smile.

Besides cosmetic differences, there are several. What has been noticed is that due to the expansion of silver filling materials and because silver fillings are wedged inside of a tooth for retention, stress can occur to your natural enamel. This often leads to a premature fracture of your tooth, which might necessitate a crown. With properly placed tooth colored filling, your tooth is actually strengthened by filling not weakened, because it is bonded (connected) to the tooth, not wedged in.

Since tooth coloured fillings don't have the track history that silver has, that question can't be answered just yet. However, from the clinical studies, it seems that they can.

Yes, gold is the best material we have. A gold filling, done properly, can last a lifetime. We can't say that about any other material.