Babies & Children

A Pleasant Visit

At Wade Abbott Dentistry & Associates we believe in making a child’s first dental visit a pleasant one. The Canadian Dental Association encourages the assessment of infants by a dentist within six months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age. The goal is to have your child visit the dentist before there is a problem with his or her teeth. In most cases, an examination every six months will let your child’s dentist catch small problems early.

There are three reasons to take your child for a dental checkup:

• To ensure mom/dad are taking good care of their child’s oral health at home.
• Your dentist can find problems right away and fix them.
• Your child can learn that going to the dentist helps prevent problems.

A Step Above

We make the extra efforts to ensure that your child is comfortable with us. Our caring staff and child-friendly environment (with TVs) makes Wade Abbott Dentistry & Associates a welcoming place for your child.

What to expect at your child’s first appointment

Depending on the child’s age and tolerance, the first appointment may consist of an examination only. Some children that are too small to sit in the dental chair may be examined by the “knee to knee “ technique. This is where the parent and dentist sit knee to knee with each other while the parent holds and slowly lays the child on their legs. This allows the dentist to get a better look around the mouth while still being cared for by the parent.

In other cases, we take digital dental radiographs ( x-rays) using low dose radiation to look for cavities, developing teeth, as well as any potential abnormalities that can occur. This allows the dentist to have a full picture of your child’s oral health and to ensure your child is getting the highest level of care.

Our registered dental hygienist will then complete a prophy on your child. A prophylaxis is a dental cleaning to remove any plaque or food debris left between teeth and around the gums. If left untreated, this can lead to cavities and gum disease.

And finally, if your child is age appropriate, our registered dental hygienist will complete a fluoride treatment to decrease the chances of your child developing dental decay. The hygienist and dentist may also recommend sealants to be placed on the child’s permanent teeth to help prevent dental decay in the future.

Lip and Tongue Tie Revision

To learn more about Lip & Tongue Tie Revisions that are performed at our Mount Pearl location, you can click here.

MCP Information

Every resident of Newfoundland and Labrador should have a valid MCP number. In order for your dental services to be covered you will need to make sure that your MCP is valid with an expiry date. New residents to NL are subject to a 3 month waiting period after the new MCP cards are issued. MCP dental coverage is divided into 4 categories:

1. Any child under the age of 13
2. Any child ages 13-17 covered under Income Support
3. Any child ages 13-17 covered by Low Income Support
4. Any adult covered under Income Support

Adults and children under the Income Support Program are automatically covered for any dental services. (List of covered services are listed inside.) For a child to be covered under the Low Income Support Program, an application needs to be submitted for coverage. Forms can be found at www.health.gov.nl.ca Parents are then provided with an eligibility letter that must be given to the dental provider before treatment.

What's Covered

Children Under 13:

• Examination every 6 months
• Prophy (cleaning) every 12 months
• Fluoride Treatment (ages 6+ only) every   12 month
• Routine fillings are covered once every 2 years. (Fillings on front primary (baby) teeth are not covered)
• Extractions are covered Sealants are covered (Once in a lifetime)
• Sedation is not covered X-rays (bitewings) are covered once every 2 years Panoramic x-rays are not covered Emergency exams and associated x-rays are covered

Income Support (ages 13-17)

• Examination every 2 years Emergency exams and associated x-rays are covered
• Panoramic x-rays are not covered Prophys (cleaning) are not covered
• Fluoride Treatments are not covered
• Sealants are not covered
• Fillings are covered up to a yearly maximum of $300
• Extractions are covered and are not considered part of the $300 cap (Impacted teeth are not covered)

Low Income Support (Ages 13-17)

• Same coverage as Income Support

Adult Dental Program (Income Support)

• No preventative services (cleaning and/or fluoride)
• Exam and x-rays are covered once every 3 years
• Routine fillings are covered once every year up to a yearly maximum of $300
• Extractions are covered and not considered part of the $300 cap (Impacted teeth are not covered)
• Emergency exams and associated x-rays are covered
• Panoramic x-rays are not covered
• Dentures are covered up to a specified amount