At Lifestyle Dentistry, we teach your children the proper way to take care of their teeth and try to show them that going to the dentist can be fun! We want to provide the best pediatric experience possible, calm, comfortable, and inviting. Many parents choose to have our dedicated dentists treat their children because of our ability to deal with all types of child behavior and special needs.
Your Choice for Mississauga Pediatric Dentistry!
Mississauga’s Premier Pediatric Dentist!
As parents, we understand children’s unique fears and concerns when it comes to visiting the dentist. Lifestyle Dentistry is committed to ensuring that everyone, including our youngest patients, is comfortable and relaxed during each visit. Our Mississauga dental team is caring and friendly, and we work hard to create a welcoming and compassionate atmosphere. We have years of experience in pediatric dentistry and working with kids. We are pleased to offer a wide variety of pediatric services, including:
BPA-Free Tooth Coloured Fillings
You may have heard some worrying things about BPA, or Bis-Phenol A, a compound in tooth-colored dental fillings, but do not rush back to silver amalgam just yet. While it is good to avoid BPA, which is endocrine-disrupting and has been linked to a wide variety of problems, we do not have to decide which is the lesser of two evils. We can leave tooth-colored fillings with BPA and the dangers of mercury poisoning that come with amalgam fillings behind because there are numerous tooth-colored materials available that are free of BPA. If you have fillings that contain BPA, do not feel that you need to rush to have them removed and replaced with BPA-free fillings, as this would mostly only weaken teeth and do more harm than good. The release of BPA from fillings drops off sharply after the first 24 hours. Ideally, we can get BPA-free fillings in the first place, but if that is not possible, we can simply switch to a BPA-free material after the current fillings wear out.
Interceptive Orthodontics
Interceptive orthodontics, also called Phase 1 orthodontics, is orthodontic treatment for children starting around age 7. It can reduce the need for tooth extraction and jaw surgery, correct certain problems as they appear, encourage better facial development, shorten the length of orthodontic treatment needed later on, and leave patients with a better overall result in the end. With traditional orthodontic treatment, the patient only begins treatment after most or all of their adult teeth have grown in. However, certain issues with bite, dental alignment, and facial development can start to appear long before the last few adult teeth show up. Correcting these problems early on can make future orthodontic treatment (or Phase 2) much faster and easier, and sometimes no longer necessary! Not all orthodontic problems can be solved with interceptive orthodontics, which is why a child needs to have an initial consultation with their dentist as soon as possible after they turn seven.
Nitrous Oxide for Children
Nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as laughing gas, is a colourless, odorless gas consisting of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom bonded together. Studies indicate that it reduces a patient’s perception of pain and increases the release of dopamine. Laughing gas is one option to help anxious patients relax and feel comfortable during a dental procedure, or even during a routine dental appointment.
The nitrous oxide used in a medical setting is very safe, even for toddlers and young children. The masks dentists use to administer the gas first deliver pure oxygen, followed by a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide. The limited exposure produces effects that reduce pain and help the patient relax during a procedure. In rare cases (only one in every two hundred patients), it may cause temporary side effects like headaches, shivering, sweating, nausea, or fatigue.
Pit and Fissure Sealant
Dental sealants are a protective clear plastic layer brushed onto the chewing surfaces of teeth to “seal them off” from plaque and bacteria that would cause cavities to form. The best time to bring your child in for dental sealants is around when their adult molars erupt, which is usually at age six. Typically, sealants are applied to the molars because these teeth do the most chewing and have deep crevices where bacteria can hide. The sealant will fill in and cover any crevices on the tooth to act as a shield from the bacteria. Even better is that the sealant application process is quick and painless! The sooner sealants are in place, the less opportunity the oral bacteria will have to build up in the crevices of the molars. Sealants can last up to ten years, and your dentist will check on them during regular cleaning appointments to make sure there are not any chips or cracks.
Space Maintainers
If a child loses a baby tooth earlier than expected, or their adult tooth is late erupting, they may benefit from space maintainers to hold the place for the incoming tooth or teeth. Space maintainers are orthodontic appliances that help ensure that adult teeth come in where they should. Custom-made for each child, they can be fixed or removable. A few of the most common types of space maintainer appliances are the band-and-loop device, the lingual holding arch, the trans palatal arch, and the distal shoe appliance. Which appliance a child uses is determined by the missing tooth or teeth. They can be fitted to either the upper or lower jaw, on one or both sides, as needed. For children with several missing teeth, partial dentures can be effective space maintainers. Whenever a child loses a tooth before it is loose, or if they have lost it normally but the adult tooth is taking a long time to come in, it is a good idea to bring them in so our team can determine whether a space maintainer is necessary and what type to use.
