Children’s Dentistry
At Bow View Dental Care we believe that coming to the dentist as a child should not be a fearful experience and we put a strong focus on developing caring and trusting relationships between your children and our team. We know how important it is to develop the right dental habits in your children to avoid future discomfort and problems with their teeth and feel there is no better way to do so than with a pleasant and nurturing experience at the dental clinic.
Your Child’s first visit
The Canadian Dental Association recommends that all children see the dentist within six months of their first tooth coming in, or before the age of one. Although we will check inside the mouth to screen for any potential problems, one of the major reasons for this visit is actually to talk with you about how to care for your child’s teeth and reduce the risk factors for early childhood decay. Parents should be aware that cavities can begin to develop on teeth as soon as they appear in the mouth and it is critical to be protecting these teeth with proper care right from the beginning. During this visit, we will discuss factors that affect the development of cavities, review proper tooth brushing and flossing tips, and talk about the link between diet and oral health. We will also spend time to show your child the different tools we use in the dental office to help them get used to what we do at the clinic and show them that there is nothing to be fearful of in coming to see the dentist.
Fluoride
Fluoride is a natural mineral that can be found in soil, water, and various foods and is one of the most effective agents available to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride interacts with the outer layer of your teeth, making it harder and thus more resistant to cavities. In Cochrane, there is relatively very little fluoride in our drinking water and so at Bow View Dental Care we recommend the application of fluoride onto the surfaces of your child’s teeth twice a year to help resist against tooth decay.
Sealants
Sealants are a thin plastic coating that is placed into the deeper grooves of certain teeth in order to help prevent the development of cavities. When our first permanent molars erupt, their biting surfaces can often be covered with deep crevices and grooves which can easily attract plaque and food debris that, if left uncleaned, can result in decay. Coupled with the fact that these teeth are far at the back of the mouth and difficult to reach and brush, they are a common place to develop cavities in kids who are at risk. A sealant will be placed in the fissures of the biting surface of the tooth after it has been specially cleaned in order to seal off these grooves and prevent anything from getting into them as well as make the surfaces of the tooth easier to clean. Although sealants won’t guarantee that no cavity will ever form, they can significantly decrease the risk of decay on the surfaces of the tooth that have been protected.
Dental work in children
Even with the right habits in place, and despite our best efforts, cavities and dental problems can still arise in our children’s teeth. Even in baby teeth, cavities often need to be fixed to stop the decay from spreading because, if left untreated, the tooth may abscess and cause pain or loss of teeth. Studies show that children with cavities may have difficulty eating, smiling, and have problems paying attention and learning at school. Our priority at Bow View Dental Care is to provide children comfortable treatment in a trusting and pleasant environment. Dr. Leong and his team work very patiently with kids, always explaining and showing each step so that there are no surprises. Using the right words with kids, good techniques, and a gentle touch help for completion of treatment with little discomfort, which has kids leaving the clinic with smiles and a positive experience.