Regardless if your child has seen a previous dentist, or if we will be their very first dental appointment, we will promise the best experience.
Your child’s first visit to Riverpark Dental is the initial foundation of our relationship and is therefore approached with increased awareness and care. To ensure that we can deliver the most complete, comprehensive, and enjoyable dental care to your child, we work closely with the parents and guardians by taking in all appropriate and relevant information pertinent to their treatment. Our goal is to make your child dental care relaxing and fun for everyone.
We will introduce your child to Mr. Thirsty ( our suction tip) our water and air shooter and all other equipment. Your child can bring their own movie to watch or they can select a title on Netflix.
We will show your child how to brush and floss properly and educate them on the danger of sugar bugs. We encourage parents to become companions in their child’s dental health journey by educating and reinforcing the importance of positive dental habits.
The last and arguably most important part of the visit is the child’s visit to our Treasure Chest to pick out a prize for their good behaviour.
You are welcome to be inside the treatment room for your child’s initial visit, but for future appointments we suggest your child be with us independently so we can do our part in establishing a relationship with them. Our goal is to build your child’s confidence in Riverpark Dental and to overcome any apprehension towards the dental chair. Of course, if you are more comfortable being in the treatment room with your child, you are more than welcome.
To make sure everyone who visits Riverpark Dental has a great experience, we would like children who are not being treated to remain in the reception area or playroom. If arranged in advance, we can offer complimentary child care.
The dental home is the continuous relationship between the dentist and the patient that includes all facets of oral health care administered in a complete, accurate, family-centered and readily available manner. When children have a place they can call their dental home, they are more likely to receive the right preventative and oral health care.
If your child is old enough they should be told when and where they are going and that our Patient Care Specialists and dentists will explain everything that will be done and answer any questions you or your child may have. At Riverpark Dental, our mission is to provide the most enjoyable dental experience and we do so by avoiding certain words around children that may spark unnecessary fear. Such words include needle, pull, drill, or hurt. We go to the effort of conveying the same message in a pleasant and non-frightening way.
At age 6 the first molars and lower central incisors are the first permanent teeth to erupt. To ensure your child is doing a thorough job while establishing empowerment and independence, children should be brushing their own teeth twice a day with a supervising adult by ages 4 or 5 until around age 7. At Riverpark Dental, we know that your child is as unique and different as their treatment approach is, and our dentists can assist in determining what is best for your child at their given age.
The teeth, bones, and soft tissues of the mouth have the same requirements as the rest of the body: they need a well-balanced diet full of a variety of foods from the 5 major food groups. Toddlers snack on many things that can cause cavities and the more your child snacks, the greater chance that they will get a cavity. The type of candy significantly matters as well and it is worthwhile to be aware of. For example, candies that stay in the mouth longer than others such as hard candies and mints give more time for bacteria to digest simple sugars and produce enamel eating acids in the mouth. Better choices for your child are low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and vegetables, all which provide vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to keep your child and their teeth healthy.
Children don’t initially know better when it comes to their teeth, and inadequate attention is expected. However, a common myth many parents believe about their child’s primary teeth is that if a cavity forms, it’s not a big deal because they will fall out anyway. This could not be further from the truth.
Ignoring cavities in the primary teeth precede problems in the developing permanent teeth. The primary teeth have important roles they carry, including:
The child’s four front teeth are lost at around age 6-7 and are the first to go, with the molars and bicuspids being the last to go at around age 10-13. Primary teeth give the child an attractive appearance and affect their speech development.
Good oral hygiene involves removing bacteria and food particles that contribute to cavity formation. By monitoring the amount of sugary snacks your children eat and making sure they brush their teeth after they wake up and before they go to sleep, you can do your part in ensuring your child’s oral health is being taken care of when away from the dental chair.
Reputable sources such as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a visit to the dentist every 6 months for your child. Keeping consistent with routine dental visits commence your child’s establishment of positive dental habits for the rest of their life.
Fluoride is an element that has been researched to show can be beneficial to teeth when administered in the correct amount; in contrast, too much or too little fluoride can be ruinous to dental health. Having too little doesn’t give the teeth the strength to fight cavities, while too much can lead to dental fluorosis, which is when too much is ingested by children and is characterized by chalky white or brown tinge to the teeth. Kids often get more fluoride than their parents realize, so it is important that you keep note of your child’s fluoride intake to prevent dental fluorosis from occurring.
Some sources of additional fluoride intake can include too much fluoridated toothpaste, improper use of fluoride supplements, unaccounted for fluoride sources in the child’s diet.
