Frequently Asked Questions

A dentist is a person who works to diagnose, treat and prevent oral health problems.

The Canadian Dental Association recommends the assessment of infants, by a dentist, within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth or by one year of age.

The goal is to have your child visit the dentist before there is a problem with his/her teeth. In most cases, a dental exam every six months will let the dentist catch small problems early. Learn more about our children’s services and how we can help your child.

It is essential for parents to help their children develop good oral hygiene maintenance habits while they are still young. By age 5, your child should be able to manage to brush his or her teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. However, you should supervise their brushing habits regularly.

You could give your child a small-headed, soft-bristled toothbrush, and apply fluoridated toothpaste in an amount about the size of a small green pea. Encourage your child to watch you and your older siblings brush teeth so that they have positive examples to follow. Teach your child not to swallow toothpaste. In addition to brushing, you may start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as they touch each other. Do speak with your dentist about the right timing and technique to floss your child’s teeth and to teach your child to floss.

On top of home care for your child’s dental hygiene needs, it is important to have your child’s teeth examined and professionally cleaned. If your child has had his first dental visit as soon as his first few primary teeth appear, you would be encouraged to continue with follow-up appointments at regular intervals. As dental needs vary from child to child, it is important for your child to be examined by a dentist so that an assessment of his/her condition can be made and the appropriate therapy can be given.

Yes, you should! Bleeding gums must not be neglected as it is one of the early signs of gum disease.  It can present in mild forms, from bleeding gums (gingivitis) to severe ones such as periodontitis, resulting in eventual tooth loss. Early detection means timely treatment to maintain natural teeth when it is still not too late. Please call to book an appointment for a dental exam for bleeding gums.

Do you ever wonder why it is necessary to see your dentist for a regular checkup and professional dental cleaning once every six months – even though you have been diligently brushing your teeth? Dental plaque accumulates on the surfaces of our teeth and gum line, and it is highly adhesive. When left undisturbed for some time, bacteria and their by-products either works to weaken the tooth(dental caries) or cause your gums to bleed.

In comparison to dental plaque, tartar (or calculi) is hard and tenacious. Tartar is calcified dental plaque, and it usually is formed when dental plaque is not cleaned away thoroughly, allowing it to accumulate and harden. While dental plaque can be brushed and flossed away, tartar cannot. Studies have shown that it can take a short time of 2 weeks for undisturbed plaque to harden. Hence, regular trips to your dentist are important, your dentist helps to remove the dirt that otherwise cannot be removed by regular flossing and brushing.

Most over-the-counter products that are currently available such as teeth whitening strips are safe owing to the very low concentration of teeth whitening gel / active ingredient present.

However, the overall colour improvement, as a result, might also be limited. A dentist-prescribed professional teeth whitening procedure (either “in-clinic” or “take-home”) will always give better results.

Please call to know more about our teeth whiting services.

Dental anxiety is a term loosely used to describe fear or heightened stress levels in the dental setting.

The causes of dental anxiety can include:

Fear of pain/needles, Sounds or equipment related to dental treatment, Previous bad dental experience (personal, or that of friends and relatives), Frequent threats from parents to their children about “how the dentist will pull out all your teeth.”, Embarrassment about the state of their oral health, Having little to no understanding of what is coming

Here are how we can help you to deal with dental anxiety.

Over the years I have successfully managed patients with dental anxiety, I have found that open communication between the dentist and the patient is essential. As an experienced dental team, we listen to and acknowledge the patient’s concerns and fears, and not just offhandedly dismiss them.

Frequent breaks for the patient between steps of the dental procedure, and verbalizing the next step to the patient, can help them manage their expectations and anxiety levels.

There is one piece of bad news I have for patients with dental anxiety: To reliably avoid unpleasant dental visits, you have to plan frequent visits to the dentist, so that we can institute preventive dental care, and also detect any problems at the initial stages; this would allow us to deal with any issues early on, affording the possibility of minimal intervention.

Simply contact our office! Our front desk administrator will be happy to help schedule your next dental check-up at your convenience. We are open late evenings and weekends to accommodate even our most busy patients.

If you are a new patient, please let us know, and we will provide you with all the information you need for your first dental visit.

Our staff at Apollo family  Dental are available to help you with insurance claims and paperwork. We’ll work with your insurance provider and make sure you understand your insurance benefits. We offer direct billing, financing, and flexible payment options for dental procedures.

Member of BCDA, College of Dental Surgeons of BC.

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