Blog

Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough and our team know it is natural for you to feel some concern when you need to wear any type of dental device to correct a problem with your teeth. Both braces and Invisalign can produce good results in giving you the smile you’ve always wanted. Both methods can straighten your teeth and alleviate such issues as crowding, spacing, cross bite, overbite, and underbite. Both methods of treatment have a similar cost.

You can take a cross-country road trip in a ten-year-old economy car or you can make the trip in a brand-new luxury sedan. Both will get you to your destination, but you will be far more comfortable traveling in the luxury sedan. Similarly, your journey to a great smile is much more comfortable and convenient with Invisalign as opposed to braces.

Comfort

Some of the discomfort you may experience with braces is greatly reduced with Invisalign. Because Invisalign is custom-fit to your mouth and made of plastic, you will feel less pain, irritation, and soreness. Unlike braces, there are no food restrictions; you can eat anything that is on your diet.

Brushing and flossing

Of course you will want to brush and floss your teeth to prevent plaque buildup, tooth discoloration, and dental decay. If you wear braces, these simple tasks can become quite a challenge. Invisalign aligners are very easy to remove and replace, so you can brush or floss like normal without having to work your way around any metallic framework covering your teeth.

Appearance

You do not have to be embarrassed to show your teeth when you are using the Invisalign system. Since the aligners are practically invisible, no one will even notice you are wearing them! Whether you are a teenager or an older adult, you can live your life normally.

If you want to learn more about Invisalign, or are wondering what your treatment options are at Cataraqui Dental Centre, feel free to give us a call at our convenient Kingston, ON office!

Flossing is one of the most important parts of your oral care routine. Many patients know they need to do it but find it difficult to fit into their busy lives. Well, here's the good news: flossing once a day is enough if you're doing a good job!

Some patients like to brush before they floss and others like to floss before they brush. Some like to floss in the morning when they have more energy, others like to floss at night so they can go to bed with a clean mouth. Don't get hung up on any of this, the important thing is that you floss and floss effectively no matter when you do it.

Effective flossing contributes to oral health in these ways:

• It reduces the chance of cavities between teeth, since cavities can only form on teeth covered with dental plaque and you're scraping that plaque away when you floss.
• Along with brushing, it reduces the amount of time the plaque is left on your teeth, allowing them to be in a state of healing and remineralization for longer.
• It removes plaque that accumulates at or below the gum line, aiding in the prevention of gum disease.

As you can see, flossing offers many benefits for such a simple and inexpensive technique. So if you're still wondering how much to floss, don't worry about it. Don't mistake the frequency of your flossing with the effectiveness of it. Choose a dental floss that you like and one time during the day when you can floss thoroughly and just do it! If you need more tips on how to floss correctly, ask Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough or any member of our Kingston, ON team—we'd be glad to help you pick up this healthy habit!

Providing dental care for patients with special needs can be a challenge at times, both for the dentist and the family of the individual. Fortunately, Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough and our team at Cataraqui Dental Centre have the experience needed to provide optimal care for your special-needs child. Here are just a few of the ways our office works to help those who need a little extra care.

Assistance with at-home dental health care

We understand that sometimes at-home dental care can be extremely difficult for those with special needs. Individuals with physical difficulties, which may prevent them from holding the toothbrush, and those with developmental issues, who may have difficulty understanding the importance of dental hygiene, need extra attention with regard to home hygiene care. Our team at Cataraqui Dental Centre can provide support and education to ensure your child will achieve and maintain a healthy smile. For example, devising improvised toothbrushes to help patients get a properly grip, creating a specialized meal plan, and establishing a more frequent office visitation schedule to monitor overall dental health are all areas where our office is happy to help.

Coordinating office care

Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough and our team understand that sometimes special-needs patients feel anxiety when it comes to receiving dental care. In many cases, reliably seeing the same dental health professionals can help to promote a relationship and soothe the patient. We encourage special-needs patients to make appointments at the optimal time of day for them to help everything go smoothly as well. We also encourage preparing your child in advance of the appointment so he or she is not surprised in the office. In certain situations, Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough may also recommend sedation dentistry. Occasionally, special-needs patients are too overwhelmed by the thought of dental care and exams are best performed with the support of light sedation.

Accommodating physical needs

We also understand that special needs patients sometimes need physical accommodations. Two of the more common examples we face are patients in wheelchairs who need access to the office. We are fully compliant with all accessibility regulations to make sure our patients receive the care they need. Other patients need physical props for their mouth to help keep it open if they are physically unable to do so.

Dental care for patients with special needs requires knowledge and experience of limitations and how to address them. In our Kingston, ON office, you will find an accommodating staff ready to help, so your child can receive optimal dental care.

Our team at Cataraqui Dental Centre hears this question a lot. According to our friends at the Canadian Dental Association, "Pediatric dentistry is a branch of dentistry concerned with providing primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health diagnosis, care, and consultative expertise for infants and children through adolescence, including those of all ages with special care needs.”

Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough, are dedicated to the oral health of our young patients from infancy through their teen years. Our team at Cataraqui Dental Centre has the experience and knowledge to care for your child’s teeth, gums, and mouth throughout his or her various stages of childhood.

At Cataraqui Dental Centre, we know children are not born with a fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. And that is why Drs. Tom Holmes, Gordon Lansdown, Karen Nesbitt, Nick Cosman, Chuck Burgess, Brett Empringham, and Patrick McDonough and our team know how to examine and treat children in ways that make them relaxed and comfortable.

To learn more about what our office can offer for your child's dental health, or to schedule your child's next visit at our Kingston, ON office, please give us a call today!