New Children’s Dental Patient Information

Your Child’s First Visit

The Canadian Dental Association recommends that every child has their first dental appointment by their first birthday. The earlier the visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems, which is the entire point of visiting the dentist – prevention.

The three main reasons the CDA and our SmileTown experts believe you should take your child for dental exams from a young age are:

• You can find out if the cleaning you do at home is working.
• Your dentist can offer solutions to lingering or developing oral health problems.
• Your child can learn that going to the dentist helps prevent problems.

As the parent, you play a key role in your child’s dental care. By not passing on any dental anxiety or fear to them and taking the time to help them understand what to expect at their visits, you can help your child develop a positive relationship with the dental team. If you have any questions about the appointment, please ask.

At this first appointment, depending on your child’s age, we may suggest taking X-rays of their teeth. These images allow our team to see oral health problems developing below the gumline, like decay that may be missed by the human eye between the teeth.

As your child ages, there are other things that may come up during either first appointments or subsequent appointments. These include:

• Your dentists may discuss the need for fluoride.
• As your child’s teeth develop, and permanent molars have grown, our dentists may suggest using dental sealants to protect the teeth from cavities. This is a clear, umbrella-like coating to protect the teeth from cavities.
• We also monitor the growth and development of all adult teeth to ensure they are coming in straight, and each tooth has the proper amount of space to grow completely and healthily. If your child does have any crooked or crowded teeth, many times these issues resolve on their own as adult teeth develop. If not, we can refer you to our orthodontist who specializes in straightening and aligning teeth. This will also allow your child’s jaws to grow and develop properly.

Tips for Your Child’s First Dental Appointment

• If you have a toddler who has not yet seen a dentist, consider a “get acquainted” visit to introduce your child to the dental office before the first appointment. Choose a child-centered dental practice with an experienced team that’s excellent with kids. Select an appointment time when your child is alert and rested.
• Let your child know that the dental office is a positive and fun environment, and that the dentist they’ll be seeing is a friend. Be sure to express excitement and use positive language, and do your best to keep them from being exposed to scary stories from peers or siblings.
• Be careful about using scary words. Checkups and 90 percent of first visits do not have anything to do with “hurt,” so do not even use the word!
• Read your child a story about a character that had a good dental visit. (Ask the dental office for suggested reading.)
• Make a list of your questions about your child’s oral health in advance. This could include such topics as home care, injury prevention, diet and snacking, fluoride and tooth development.
  

Check Out Our Online Patient Portal

To make completing paperwork and paying your bill easier and more convenient, you can access our online patient portal by clicking the link below. Instead of picking up the phone or stopping by to take care of an outstanding balance, you can access our secure system using your sign-in link below. It’s easy to use, but if you have any issues accessing your account, please let us know.

Patient Portal

Dental Insurance

SmileTown Just Kids Dentistry offers hassle-free direct insurance billing. Our patients will have to pay the amount not covered by their insurance company on the date of service. We understand that dental care can be a costly investment for families – one that often leads many to forgo treatment because of financial restraints. We never want parents to feel like they can’t take care of their child’s dental health concerns, and we’re here to help no matter what kind of financial situation you find yourself in. Our team will work to find a solution.

Not only will we take care of all claims filing for maximum reimbursement, but we also work closely with all government subsidized programs, including:

• Healthy Smiles of Ontario
• CDCP (Canada Dental Care Plan)
• IFHP (Interim Federal Health Program)
• NHIB (Non-Health Insured Benet)
• All private insurance companies

Financing Available

When out-of-pocket costs are still too high to pay upfront, you can inquire about enrolling in a payment plan with Affirm, iFinance, or LendCare. These third-party companies make it easy to apply and offer flexible solutions to help pay off treatment costs over time. If you would like to learn more about how you can get started, our team will be happy to help with the application process.