Parent

Pediatric dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry — they complete specialty training that limits practice to children, including those with special health needs. A family dentist, like the team at Stadium Dental, treats every member of the family from the first tooth through adulthood, with the same focus on gentle, age-appropriate care and a kid-friendly clinic environment.

An initial exam is recommended by your child's first tooth or first birthday — whichever comes first. The first visit is short and friendly: we review tooth development, look for early cavities, and chat with you about brushing, fluoride, and feeding habits.

A non-threatening introduction to the chair. Your dentist counts the teeth, does a gentle visual exam, takes any necessary x-rays, and does an age-appropriate behaviour assessment. We keep it short, fun, and let your child take the lead.

Avoid projecting any dental anxiety you might have. Be honest and positive: tell them the dentist will count their teeth, look at their smile, and that it will be fun. Books and short videos about dental visits help younger kids know what to expect.

A check-up every six months is generally recommended, with the exact interval based on your child's individual oral-health needs. Higher-risk smiles may benefit from three- or four-month visits; lower-risk smiles can sometimes stretch to nine months between cleanings.

Yes. Stadium Dental direct-bills your insurance carrier and only collects any remaining balance at time of treatment. We also accept Alberta Child Health Benefits, First Nations Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB), and the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

Primary teeth aid speech, support nutrition through chewing, and guide the eruption of the permanent teeth that arrive between ages 9 and 13. Untreated cavities cause real pain and infection, and lost baby teeth can crowd or angle the permanent ones coming in beneath them.

Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day — morning and before bed — with the nighttime brush being the most important because saliva flow drops while we sleep. Help with brushing until your child can write cursive cleanly, around age 7–8.

Start at birth with a damp cloth or finger brush. Use a smear amount of fluoride toothpaste (rice-grain size) for children under 2, and a pea-size for ages 2–5. Choose any fluoride toothpaste with the Canadian Dental Association seal of approval.

Yes. Start flossing as soon as adjacent teeth touch — usually between ages 2 and 6. Most children master independent flossing around age 10. Floss picks are a great training tool for little hands.

Choose from the five major food groups, with limited frequency of snacking. Avoid hard or sticky candies, juice boxes, and sweetened drinks between meals. Tooth-friendly snacks include cheese, yogurt, vegetables, nuts, and apple slices.

A devastating, fast-moving form of tooth decay caused by prolonged contact between bottles of milk, formula, or juice and the upper front teeth. It can destroy those teeth by age 2 or 3 and often requires sedation dentistry to repair.

Use bottles only at mealtimes, avoid sweetened drinks, eliminate the bedtime and nap-time bottles, and gradually dilute night-time milk with water if your child needs the comfort to fall asleep. Wipe the gums with a damp cloth after every feed.

All 20 primary teeth usually appear by age 3, with the first ones erupting around 6 months. Permanent teeth start arriving around age 6 and continue through the teen years. Slight variations are normal — call us if you're worried.

Most pediatric bruxism (tooth grinding) requires no treatment. Most children outgrow it between ages 6 and 12 as their bite changes. We monitor wear at every check-up and recommend a soft night-guard only if grinding is heavy or causing pain.

A sealant is a thin, clear or white acrylic resin applied to the chewing grooves of the back permanent molars. They block food and bacteria from settling in those tiny pits and fissures and dramatically reduce the risk of cavities through the cavity-prone teen years.