The questions parents actually ask.

The Canadian Dental Association recommends a first visit by your child's first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing — whichever comes first. That visit is mostly about looking, counting, and coaching: we check development, show you how to brush a toddler's teeth, and let your child sit in the chair while nothing uncomfortable is happening.

Every six months for most children. Children with a history of decay, deep grooves in their molars, braces, or certain medical conditions often do better on a three or four month schedule. We set the interval after the first exam and adjust it as your child grows.

We use a tell-show-do approach: everything is explained and demonstrated before it is used. Appointments are kept short, a parent is welcome in the room, and we apply topical numbing gel before any freezing so nothing is a surprise. For very anxious children we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas), a mild sedation that wears off within minutes of the mask coming off.

Yes. We use digital sensors, which need a fraction of the radiation of old film, plus a lead apron and thyroid collar. We also only take them when there is a reason — to check between contacting teeth, to see a permanent tooth developing, or to investigate pain or trauma. If you would rather we explain why a particular X-ray is needed before we take it, just ask.

Yes. Decay in a baby tooth can reach the nerve and cause pain and infection, and an infection at the root can damage the permanent tooth forming underneath. Losing a baby tooth early also lets neighbouring teeth drift into the gap, which crowds the adult tooth when it arrives — often the start of orthodontic problems.

Use a fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth: a rice-grain smear under age three, a pea-sized amount from three onward, and teach your child to spit rather than rinse. On top of that we apply a professional fluoride varnish at recall visits. Talk to us before adding any supplement — the goal is enough fluoride to strengthen enamel, not more.

Both are normal in infancy and most children stop on their own between two and four. If the habit is still strong once the permanent front teeth start coming in, around age five or six, it can push the teeth forward and change how the bite closes. Mention it at a recall visit and we will look at whether it is affecting anything yet, and how to help your child stop.

If it is a permanent tooth, pick it up by the crown — never the root — rinse it gently in milk or saline if it is dirty, and try to place it back in the socket. If you cannot, keep it in milk and call us immediately; the first thirty to sixty minutes matter enormously. If it is a baby tooth, do not reinsert it, but still call us so we can check the socket and the tooth developing underneath. Our Etobicoke clinic sees emergencies seven days a week at (416) 622-8283.

For any sport with contact or a flying ball or stick, yes. A custom-fitted mouthguard protects far better than a boil-and-bite from a sports shop, stays put, and is thin enough that most kids forget it is there. We can take an impression at a regular checkup.

Sore, swollen gums, drooling, and disrupted sleep are all normal between roughly six and thirty months. A chilled (not frozen) teething ring, a clean finger rubbed firmly on the gum, or age-appropriate pain relief usually helps. Skip teething gels containing benzocaine for infants. A high fever or diarrhea is not teething — that is worth a call to your paediatrician.

We do. Our Etobicoke team submits claims directly to most major insurance providers, and we are a CDCP provider for eligible children. We will give you an estimate of any remaining balance before treatment starts.

Absolutely. Parents are welcome in the operatory for any children's appointment. Some older children concentrate better when a parent waits outside — we will follow whatever works for your family.