West Edmonton Children’s Dentistry

At Donsdale Dental Clinic, we strive to make every child’s dental visit a happy one. That is why we offer “Happy Visits,” which introduce and acquaint your child with our Edmonton dentist and hygienists, as well as with the process of a dental appointment in general. This helps alleviate any anxiety and encourages a lifetime of good oral health.

At your child’s first “Happy Visit,” our team of dentists and assistants will talk to you about your child’s oral health and development, and also allow your child to explore the dental operatory and equipment in a fun and engaging way. Once your child feels comfortable in the dental clinic environment, one of our gentle and caring dentists may attempt to undertake a professional dental cleaning and check-up. They will also discuss with you any areas where further attention may be needed. We know that good oral health starts early; this prepares children for a lifetime of good oral health and hygiene. We follow the recommendation of the Canadian Dental Association that children to have an assessment by a dentist within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth, or by one year of age, whichever comes first.

At Donsdale Dental, we strive to make every child’s dental visit a happy one. That is why we offer what is called a “Happy Visit” so we can acquaint your child with our dentists and hygienists to alleviate anxiety and encourage a lifetime of good oral health.

The Canadian Dental Association recommends that a child’s first dental visit occurs six months after the eruption of their first tooth, or at one year of age, whichever comes first and this is something our team fully supports.

What Happens at a Happy Visit?

At your child’s first “happy visit,” our team of dentists and assistants will talk to you about your child’s oral health and development and also allow your child to explore the dental operatory and equipment in a fun and engaging way.

After the happy visit, one of our gentle and caring dentists may attempt to undertake a professional dental cleaning and check-up and will also discuss with you any areas where further attention may be needed.

We know that good oral health starts early, and that’s why at our clinic, we love to see children of all ages and provide them with the happiest of experiences.

Donsdale Dental understands that it is always an exciting moment for your child when they are cavity-free; our entire team is excited too! Every cavity-free child at our clinic will be honored with a Cavity Free Club certificate at the end of their checkup, along with a special prize. They will also be entered into a monthly draw for 2 movie passes to let them know how proud of them we are!

Donsdale Dental loves to see all kids smile, and we do our very best to make sure your child is at ease during all their dental visits. Our team understands that a visit to the dentist for treatment can sometimes be filled with anxiety both for child and parent. At our clinic, we strive to make all appointments as comfortable and stress-free as possible for everyone. We strongly believe in the ‘Tell-Show-Do’ method. We will first tell and show your child everything we are doing before we do it, which helps ensure there are no surprises. Once they are completely comfortable, we will proceed with treatment. We also provide overhead TV’s and music as an added method of distraction for your child, and we encourage them to bring along any special items from home that may help them feel a little braver in our dental chair! At Donsdale Dental, we make it our goal to provide your child with the best experience from the get-go so that they will value their dental health for a lifetime and be eager to return to our clinic.

Any kind of contact sport can put children at risk for traumatic dental injuries, which happen all too often. Donsdale Dental is pleased to offer custom-made mouthguards to properly fit your little athlete and protect their mouth, teeth, gums, and jaw. We take an impression of your child’s teeth and have them choose the color of mouthguard they prefer. It may be the same as their team uniform or just something that shows their unique style! Our team highly recommends making a new sports guard every year to help protect your child’s developing teeth and to take into account any changes that may have happened in their mouth over the season, such as the loss of primary teeth or the growth of adult teeth. Contact Donsdale Dental to schedule your child’s appointment. Their athletic bodies and beautiful smiles will thank you!

Also called Interceptive Orthodontics, Early Intervention Orthodontics is used to help guide newly emerging teeth into position and correct any bite irregularities before they become a significant problem. At Donsdale Dental Clinic, we offer a wide range of early orthodontic treatments to help correct issues like thumb sucking, open bites, crossbites, crowding, and underdeveloped jaws in children that may not be old enough for traditional orthodontic treatment. Sometimes a child may lose a tooth too soon due to trauma, dental disease, or congenital reasons. If a tooth is lost too early, a space maintainer may be required to prevent further space loss and minimize future orthodontic issues.

Space maintainers are used to maintain the space from the lost tooth. By stabilizing the surrounding teeth, a space maintained helps prevent the adjacent teeth from drifting into the area of the lost tooth. Made of metal and custom-fit specifically to your child’s mouth, space maintainers are small and unobtrusive, and most children adjust quickly to them after the first few days of placement. We usually recommend that a space maintainer is worn by the child until the adult tooth appears in the mouth.

It is always good practice to keep an eye on your child’s oral development. Our dental team is always on the lookout to identify any potential malocclusion (crowded/crooked teeth) or bite problems so we can actively intervene before they become more pressing issues. By using Orthodontic appliances, we can proactively align teeth, guide newly erupted teeth into position, and correct bite problems in advance. Well-aligned teeth are easier to keep clean and are less susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease, not to mention how a nice smile may affect the self-esteem of the child. Our team will assess your child’s mouth for any of these issues at every checkup. We also welcome you to speak to us to learn more about the benefits of early intervention orthodontics for your child.