Pediatric dentistry ensures children’s teeth and gums are healthy as they grow. It also teaches kids proper oral hygiene habits early in life.

You can explain what will happen in a positive tone, read books about going to the dentist, or show them fun videos about dental visits.

Our office is designed to make kids feel comfortable with a friendly environment, and we offer gentle care to ease their worries.

If the baby tooth is wiggling or loose, it is best to wait and see if that tooth will come out naturally on its own. However, if the baby tooth is not loose, your child may need to have their baby tooth extracted.

Dental cleaning is the third and final step of a routine dental checkup. The first is a thorough dental exam that may or may not include dental x-rays. If the dentist finds any dental problems at this stage, they will recommend a corrective procedure. If the child’s teeth are in good shape, the dentist will:

Scrub their teeth, using mild but gritty toothpaste and a gentle toothbrush or soft cloth

Gently floss between the teeth

Rinse the teeth

Apply sealant or fluoride to protect their teeth

Pediatric dentists will take every possible measure to make the procedure a calm and stress-free process.

For routine care, children can begin going to the dentist as soon as their first tooth erupts, but should begin going no later than their first birthday. Parents who have concerns about anything related to their child's mouth are welcome to see a pediatric dentist at any age.

We generally recommend scheduling a checkup every six months. Depending on the circumstances of your child’s oral health, we may recommend more frequent visits.

Primary, or "baby," teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. Early loss of primary teeth can increase the likelihood of requiring braces when secondary (adult) teeth start coming in.  Baby teeth that get cavities can cause pain and infection long before they will be coming out on their own (The second baby molars are not normally lost until a child is 12 years old!).  If these cavities are left untreated, the infection can actually spread through the rest of the body potentially leading to life-threatening infections.  Any type of treatment of cavities is never as perfect or ideal as the natural tooth, and many children can have difficulty tolerating dental procedures.  While dentists are trained in treating these dental problems, the best solution is to take care of baby teeth and prevent decay from the beginning.  The goal of early visits to a pediatric dentist is aimed at prevention for these very reasons.

For dental health and overall health, candy and other "junk food" should be considered a treat and not a regular part of your child’s diet. However, some types of candy can be more harmful to teeth. The longer the sugar from the candy sticks to your teeth, the more damage it does. Candy that is extremely sticky, such as taffy or caramel, is particularly bad for teeth. Try to pick candy like chocolate that melts away and does not not linger on the teeth as long.  Avoiding tacky candies is also important to prevent pulling sealants, crowns, or fillings off of teeth as well.  If candy is consumed, try to brush your child’s teeth as soon afterwards as possible to prevent sugar from being on the teeth for as long.

If a child bumps his or her primary baby tooth, it may turn dark. Usually this happens two to three weeks after an accident. It’s usually a gray or purple like colour. Whether it turns dark or not doesn’t always depend on the severity of the injury. However, that if the tooth is displaced or knocked very loose at the time of the injury, there seems to be a greater chance of it turning dark. If it doesn’t turn dark after a month, it likely won’t have any further problems. Sometimes it can turn a pink colour which can be another thing called internal resorption where the tooth resorbs from the inside out.

Will the tooth ever lighten back up?

It can lighten back. In fact most do, but it takes a while. There is just not a good blood supply there. In addition, there may have been such displacement of the tooth that the blood supply is damaged. Those teeth may not recover or lighten at all. Having said all that, most dark baby teeth do lighten back. If it is a permanent tooth, then it’s a whole other ball game. A traumatized permanent tooth that turns dark usually means the tooth is dead and will need a root canal to save it.

How long will it take for the tooth to light back up?

Baby teeth seem to take several months to lighten, usually around six months or so. It is kind of like a bruise inside the tooth. Unlike a bruise on the skin where there is a good blood supply, the tooth takes a longer amount of time to recover. Sometimes it will lighten to a slight opaque look, which is barely noticeable. This is due to the canal inside the tooth closing up. It’s like a scar inside the tooth. If this happens then the tooth looks pretty good and is not likely to have any further problems.

Sometimes the tooth never lightens. It stays dark. What can I do?

If the tooth has turned dark and there are no other signs of infection or injury, there often is no need for treatment. An X-ray is typically taken to check for problems. In a few cases, the tooth can abscess due to the death of the pulp inside the tooth. The body can’t get in there to heal. So it is important to watch for that. If the tooth is dark and you just don’t like looking at it, it may need extraction.

As the child ages and X-rays are taken, progress from an adult tooth coming in can be observed and rarely does a child’s tooth affect the adult tooth underneath, which is great news.

For children under six, we continue to monitor the tooth closely, as their dental development is still very early, and early intervention is not recommended—just observation.

Baby teeth growing behind adult teeth

One common dental concern parents have with their children’s teeth is when their adult teeth come in before their baby teeth are out. This can cause crowding, toothaches, and even a condition that is sometimes referred to as “shark teeth” or when there are two rows of teeth. Although shark teeth may seem concerning, it is easily treatable and is actually common among children.