FAMILY DENTISTRY

Welcome to Pearly Dental in Edmonton, AB, where you immediately realize you've found the ideal home for your family's dental care.

Our team is passionate about guiding children towards becoming adults with healthy smiles. Our doctors understand the impact of early dental experiences on a child's future attitude towards oral health. We're committed to ensuring your child's visit is positive, knowing that one bad experience can shape their view of dentistry forever. At Pearly Dental, a wonderful visit for your child is a priority.

We offer a range of services designed to make patients of all ages feel at home. Whether it's your child's first check-up or an orthodontic consultation, our dentists listen attentively to your concerns and provide expert guidance at each step of your dental journey.

CHILDREN'S DENTISTRY

Our doctors believe that a trip to the dentist should be fun, lighthearted, and not something to fear. The way your child is exposed to dentistry lays the groundwork for how they view dental care and dental visits for the rest of their lives.

Our doctors and their team love caring for their patients, and work hard to make sure each child is spoken to gently, treated with respect, and cared for as if they were our own child. We use simple words to explain procedures to our patients and make sure each parent or guardian is aware of the process as well.

CHILDREN'S CLEANINGS & EXAMS

Preventative care is one of the simplest and most important ways to make sure your child’s teeth grow in strong and healthy. Giving them the proper tools and teaching them the right way to brush when they are young lays the groundwork that will create healthy habits they will carry with them into adulthood.

Most children have two cleanings a year, but children with a higher risk of caries may need more frequent visits. During a checkup, your child’s hygienist will clean their teeth and, if necessary, take x-rays and give your child a fluoride treatment. The dentist will perform an exam and review if any treatment is needed.

INFANT ORAL EXAMS

Following the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, our doctors suggest infants should come in for their first oral exam between the ages of six months to one year old. We will review proper diet, age-appropriate hygiene, and go over pacifier use to make sure your child’s oral health starts strong and stays strong.

DIGITAL X-RAYS

Digital x-rays help diagnose cavities while they are tiny, often allowing for less invasive treatment. If they are caught early enough, decay may be stopped with some minor changes to your child’s homecare routine.

Using digital x-rays, our doctors can look for teeth that haven’t erupted yet, make sure your child’s jaws and teeth are developing well, and monitor whether orthodontic treatment will be needed in the future.

Today’s digital x-rays expose your child to less radiation than ever before. Lead aprons and taking x-rays only when necessary further reduce your child’s exposure.

FLUORIDE

Topical fluoride treatments help keep your child’s teeth cavity-free between visits by strengthening the enamel. Depending on your child’s age, the fluoride may be brushed onto your child’s teeth or put into a foam tray and allowed to sit on their teeth. For younger children, a fluoride varnish is brushed onto the teeth. Fluoride varnish hardens when it comes in contact with saliva, forming a hard film that is brushed off later that evening.

Older children usually have a tray loaded with foam fluoride placed in their mouths for a specific amount of time along with a suction straw to remove any foam overflow and saliva. When the time is up, your child is told not to eat or drink for at least 30 minutes to allow the fluoride to work.

Our doctors and their hygiene team are happy to answer all your questions about fluoride treatments and treatment options.

RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY

If your child needs restorative treatment in the form of a filling or crown, our doctors and their team will create a custom treatment plan for your child and review all options with you before treatment begins. We believe a conservative approach to children’s dentistry is usually the best course of action.

Fillings are placed in the tooth following decay removal to preserve natural tooth structure. Nowadays most fillings are made of a composite resin that is matched to your child’s natural tooth color. In some rare instances amalgam (silver) fillings may be used.

Crowns can be made of many different materials depending on where in your child’s mouth they are to be used. Stainless steel, resin, and zirconia are all durable choices and require very similar preparations.

WHY DOES MY CHILD NEED A CROWN?

Sometimes an area of decay is too large for a filling or the decay has compromised the whole side of a tooth, so there is not enough tooth structure to support a filling. If your child has an accident that results in a heavily damaged tooth or if your child is at high risk for developing cavities, the doctor may decide it’s best to preserve the entire remaining structure.

If you are concerned that your child needs a crown, our doctors and their team are happy to answer all your questions.

ROOT CANALS ON BABY TEETH

When decay reaches the nerve of a baby tooth or it suffers trauma, it can lead to sensitivity or pain. A root canal can help save the tooth, maintaining it until it naturally falls out to be replaced by a permanent one. This approach avoids issues with self-confidence, chewing, speech, and bite alignment. If your child experiences tooth sensitivity, pain, mouth trauma, or changes in eating habits, consult Pearly Dental immediately. The procedure involves removing the infected pulp, disinfecting the area, and filling it with gutta-percha. A crown may be added for support. Post-procedure sensitivity might occur, but pain is unlikely due to nerve removal. Regular home care is crucial to avoid root canals on other baby teeth.

SPORTS MOUTHGUARDS

It’s estimated that over 20 million children take part in one after-school sport or another. With that amount of children engaging in sports and other activities like skiing, gymnastics, and martial arts, there is a higher chance of injury. Did you know that up to 20% of these injuries are due to fractured or otherwise damaged teeth?

Our doctors can create a sports mouthguard for your child. After an impression of your child’s teeth is taken, they will fabricate a new mouthguard molded to custom-fit to their unique smile. When worn regularly, your child can protect their teeth, jaws, and lips from injury. Your child only gets one set of adult teeth. Our doctors can help you keep them safe.

TOOTH COLOURED FILLINGS

Studies have shown that almost 33% of children aged 2 to 5 have experienced a cavity, a staggering figure that underscores the importance of early prevention and intervention. Our composite resin fillings, designed to blend seamlessly with the tooth's natural colour, ensure a restoration that is far less noticeable than traditional silver fillings. These composite materials form a secure bond with the tooth structure, offering a durable repair and reducing the risk of future fractures. Our dentists advocate for a conservative approach to restorative dentistry for children, committed to providing your child with the most durable, safe, and aesthetically pleasing options available.

TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

An extraction can make both children and parents anxious, but it is a common procedure in most dental offices. Sometimes a child’s tooth has too much decay to be restored, or they need a tooth or teeth removed to make room for orthodontic treatment.

Regardless of the reason, our doctors and their team will ensure you and your child are comfortable with the treatment plan. After administering some local anesthetic, the doctor will remove your child’s tooth. If it is impacted or if the removal is complicated, the doctor will discuss with you whether sedation options are recommended.

Once the tooth is removed, our dentist will give you post-op instructions and place a small piece of gauze over the extraction site to stop any bleeding and help a clot form. Check and replace the gauze every 20 minutes until the bleeding stops.

Pearly Dental always considers your child’s comfort regardless of the type of treatment they are receiving. The dentist will discuss their unique situation with you to determine the best way to help them receive the treatment they need.