Common Questions for a Pediatric Dentist

My child had a permanent tooth knocked out, what should I do?

Please contact us immediately at 403-261-7661. This is a time-sensitive dental emergency and your child should rush to see Dr. Wasik ASAP. The longer that treatment is delayed, the less likely the tooth can be successfully replanted.

• Contact our clinic immediately at 403.261.7661
• Rinse the tooth in cool water but don’t wipe or scrub it
• If the child is mature and calm enough, you may place the tooth back into the socket, if possible
• Otherwise, place the tooth in a glass of cold water or milk, or gently wrap it in a clean wet cloth
• Get to our downtown Calgary dentist clinic ASAP

Baby teeth that are knocked out do not need to be replanted, though you should still contact our clinic at your earliest convenience.

What can I do if my child seems afraid of the dentist?

It can be very helpful for your child to visit a dentist before they encounter any problems. This will make their first visits entirely positive experiences, reducing the likelihood of any dentistry fears. It is also important that you don’t talk about going to the dentist in a negative way at home.

Since children can easily sense concern in their parents, it is helpful if Dr. Wasik and the hygienists work alone with your child. Given appropriate and truthful information, most children do very well and their behaviour during their appointment may really surprise you! We will also discuss their treatment with you afterwards, so you are well informed about their dental health.

Can my child receive treatment without sedation?

Sedation isn’t a requirement for all children, but may be required in certain situations. It’s uncommon for children younger than 5 to be able to sit through a longer visit or more extensive treatment without general anesthetics. However, if your child is older or only needs minimal treatment we likely won’t recommend sedation. Dr. Wasik will be able to recommend the best treatment after first meeting your child.

What is Nursing Bottle Syndrome?

Nursing bottle syndrome has several names (baby bottle syndrome, early childhood caries, ECC) which all refer to the same thing. It is a condition of tooth decay that your child may experience if their teeth are exposed to foods containing carbohydrates such as juice, snacks, sweets, formula and even breast milk for an extended period of time. This commonly occurs if children are left to fall asleep with a bottle, or if formula or breast milk remains on their teeth when they fall asleep.

It is very important to clean your child’s teeth after each feeding and particularly before they go to sleep (naps too!) so that the damaging liquid doesn’t remain on their teeth. It’s also important that each feeding of breast milk or formula only last a limited time, rather than having the food available to your child all the time. Dr. Wasik can provide more information on how to properly clean your child’s teeth at their first appointment.

My child has a toothache, what should I do?

There could be many reasons for a toothache, varying in their severity. To allow us to properly diagnose your child’s toothache, the best thing you can do is contact our clinic for emergency dental care. We aim to see all emergency patients within 24 hours, and the same day if possible, and a visit to a dental clinic will ensure the best care for your child’s tooth in this situation.

My child bumped her baby tooth and now it is dark, what should I do?

The tooth’s discolouration most likely means a blood vessel at the tip of the tooth has been broken, which can be compared to a bruise you would receive anywhere else on your body. Although most of the time this won’t cause a serious problem, it is important that it’s monitored for signs of abscess. Please contact our clinic as soon as possible to have your child’s tooth examined by Dr. Wasik.

My child chipped a tooth, what should I do?

If you were able to find the tooth fragment, keep it with you in a safe place. It can occasionally be bonded back on to the tooth. Otherwise Dr. Wasik may still be able to restore the tooth back to its natural appearance by other means, which aren’t complicated and can be completed in one visit. If the chip is small and doesn’t cause discomfort to your child, or to the mother if breast feeding, it can possibly be smoothed out of left alone all together. Please contact our clinic to book an appointment to have the tooth examined.