Annual and semi-annual dental check-ups are an integral part in keeping optimal oral health. Early detection allows us to monitor oral health and identify any issues in the early stages resulting in minimal and less invasive treatments. We determine the frequency of dental check ups based on your age, oral hygiene, cavity risk and any diet or health factors that are relevant.

During a routine exam you can expect to be in the office for 15-30 minutes. Once seated in a chair a dental assistant can take your X-Rays (Radiographs). Types of X-Rays include bitewings, panoramic and/or PA (periapical). X-rays allow us to see what is happening inside the structure of the tooth, between the teeth, below the gumline and bone levels. 

After the X-Rays are taken, the dentist will then come into the room and do a visual examination as well as talk about any findings from the X-rays. Our team loves to use our intraoral cameras to take actual pictures of anything you should be aware of. This appointment would also include a conversation about any future treatment plans if any is required.

During a dental cleaning, a hygienist will remove any tartar that has built up on the teeth. Think of tartar as a hard layer of calcified bacteria, minerals and food debris. You can minimize it’s growth with optimal brushing and flossing at home, but once it’s attached to the tooth, a dental cleaning is required to remove it.

If plaque is not removed from the teeth it can lead to gingivitis (inflamed and infected gums) and tooth decay (cavities). Tartar that builds up under the gum line can cause cavities, dental abscesses and loose teeth due to bone loss.

During a cleaning, the hygienist will start by scaling (removing) the tartar off your teeth with a specialized ultrasonic machine called a Cavitron and a series of manual handheld scalers. After the scaling is complete the hygienist can move onto polishing. Polishing is done by using a paste and a soft rubber cup. The recommended frequency of how often we remove the stains and smooth the tooth surface varies pending on the condition of your teeth, your diet, and how fast you accumulate stains.

Finally, the last step of a cleaning is to apply fluoride. We have two ways to apply fluoride. With the traditional fluoride trays or a sticky gel called varnish. While fluoride trays require 30 minutes between application and eating. You can eat immediately after the varnish application as long as it is not hot or hard enough to remove the varnish from the teeth. 

A typical cleaning for children can take between 30-45 minutes. Adults can take typically 45-60 minutes. However, in severe cases a patient may need to come back for more than one visit. Generally speaking, if you stay on track with your cleanings, an hour should be sufficient. If you’ve fallen behind on scheduling your cleanings, and more significant and deeper build ups of tartar have developed, multiple appointments may be needed to get you back on track.

Fillings are used to both repair broken and decayed teeth. Depending on the severity of the decay the dentist may use some local anesthetic to numb the area they are doing treatment on. Next, they will remove the decayed area of the tooth using a dental handpiece. After the soft decayed area has been removed, the dentist will then fill the area back up with a tooth coloured material (composite or glass ionomer) or a silver coloured material called an amalgam filling if desired. Once the tooth has been filled, the dentist will match the bite on the filling. If you feel the bite is high once the freezing wears off, please call the office and we can adjust it to ensure a proper fit with your existing bite and polish it for it to be nice and smooth.

At Ocudent, we offer both in house and at home whitening. Patients need approval from their dentist to start whitening their teeth as there are some reasons why whitening may not be a good fit for everyone. After approval from the dentist, the first step to whitening is to come into the office to get a proper mold of both upper and lower teeth. From these molds we will create whitening trays which can be used in future whitening treatments. If completing at home whitening, you come pick up the whitening trays and a pack of the whitening solution. If completing in-office whitening, an appointment will be booked with our lead registered dental assistant for whitening, where they will apply the whitening gel and trays along with a light to enhance the whitening. An average in office whitening is 3 hours and at the end you take the trays home to complete any touch ups needed in the future to maintain your desired color.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Root Canal treatments are a great way to save a damaged tooth. Whether a tooth is in pain due to bacteria that causes an infection in the nerve of the tooth, or the tooth has experienced trauma, root canals are performed to relieve the pain or prevent infection. During the treatment, the dentist will ensure profound anesthesia (ie. freezing) is done first so that you are free to relax comfortably and watch TV during the procedure. Then the Dentist will open a small access opening in the tooth so they can reach and see the nerve space of that tooth. The nerve is then gently removed from the tooth, we disinfect and clean the interior of the tooth and the tooth is filled with filling material. Depending on the severity of the tooth's damage, the location of the tooth, and the expected function and looks of that tooth, a crown is typically recommended after a root canal to maintain the structural strength of that tooth and prevent any bacteria in the mouth from invading the root canal system again in the future. In limited scenarios where a filling would suffice to close the access opening after the procedure, the dentist will advise you of that.