Dentists in Scarborough

Dentistry on Sheppard – Finding the Right Fit for Your Family

Sheppard Ave East is one of Ontario’s most important arterial routes, providing access to areas like Pickering and Scarborough City Centre. More than just an alternative to the 401 Express that it runs parallel to, Sheppard Ave provides access to some of the highest quality dentists in the region.

From Havenview Dental Centre to other local providers, patients have choices when looking for a dental care centre in Scarborough.

Finding the right dentistry on Sheppard Ave is more than just a matter of location and convenience. The best clinic for your needs will be the one that provides all of the services that you need with skilled and compassionate care.

How to Tell if You’ve Found the Best Dentistry on Sheppard Ave

Havenview Dental Centre provides world-class dentistry on Sheppard Ave, and we can offer comprehensive services with the right care for you.

There are many techniques you can apply to find the best dentist in Scarborough town centre:

• Ask for recommendations. If you’re in the area then chances are that a friend or family member has had experience with a dentist in Scarborough town centre. First-hand testimonials can go a long way to give you confidence in your choice.
• Check online. Beyond online reviews, you can research your intended provider of dentistry on Sheppard Ave to see if they offer the services that you need. Not every clinic can offer a full range of cosmetic, orthodontic, restorative, and general dentistry.
• Call the clinic and talk to them, or, better yet, book an appointment. If you want the best dentistry on Sheppard Ave, you’ll need to get to know the dentist. We provide consultations six days a week at Havenview Dental Centre and it’s easy to book an appointment with our online form.
• Consider the office hours. Your dentist should be available at a time that works for you. Havenview Dental Care Centre in Scarborough is open Monday to Saturday.
• Cost and Payments. If you have dental insurance, will it cover the dentist close to you? Are payment plans available? Are credit cards accepted? These are important questions to ask when evaluating a dentist in Scarborough town centre.

Of course, communication and the quality of work provided are key and these are things that you can only evaluate once you visit a dentist in Scarborough town centre.

We are happy to provide services for you and your family and are sure we can fit your needs, address your concerns, and provide the best care.

Services Offered by the Best Dental Care Centre in Scarborough

Havenview Dental Care Centre in Scarborough is the best option for all of your dental needs. Both Dr. Lee and Dr. Eng have more than two decades of experience in sleep apnea treatment, orthodontics, endodontics, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and general dentistry.

At Havenview Dental Care Centre in Scarborough, we provide treatments ranging from fillings to crowns and implants, veneers to teeth whitening, and root canals to realignment with Invisalign. Whether you want to improve your smile with porcelain veneers or restore damaged or missing teeth, we bring expertise and compassionate care to offer the best solutions.

Choose Havenview Dental Care Centre in Scarborough for the most advanced dentistry on Sheppard Ave that will leave you with a beautifully healthy smile.

Your Local Dentist near to Scarborough Town Centre

Just minutes from the city centre, the 401 express, and conveniently located on Sheppard Ave East, Havenview Dental Centre is your local dentist near to Scarborough Town Centre.

For the best dentistry on Sheppard Ave with a passionate team dedicated to providing the best long-term outcomes, book your appointment with Dr. Samson Lee or Dr. Anthony J. Eng today.

6 Dental Emergencies that Need Immediate Attention

Emergency Dentists in Scarborough

Going to the dentist usually requires you to make an appointment well ahead of time. When you sustain an unexpected injury or have a sudden onset of severe pain, however, it’s a dental emergency. At times like that, it’s not always possible to wait two weeks or longer for attention. Our emergency dentist in Scarborough can fit you in and give you the relief you need.

Situations Requiring Immediate Attention

Some dental situations are particularly urgent, and delays in receiving treatment can cause long-term damage you’d rather not have. These include:

Severe Pain and/or Bleeding

This can be caused by an injury to the mouth or gums, which usually dislodges one or more teeth. The earlier you can get teeth that have been knocked out back into their socket, the better your chances are to save them, so this should be a priority.

Early signs of gingivitis can also include pain and bleeding, and the gums can be swollen and achy. It’s vital to stop gingivitis in its tracks to prevent the symptoms from reaching an advanced stage.

Loose Teeth

By the time you reach adulthood, your teeth should have matured and reached stability. If you have sustained a tooth injury, however, it may have caused the loosening of one or more teeth. That can be painful and need urgent attention. Even if your teeth appear to be safe and sound after an injury, it’s vital to check for nerve or jaw damage. These situations might not cause immediate symptoms, but an x-ray could discover problems and enable you to get a surgical tooth extraction or other treatment before they worsen.

Swollen Jaw

If your jaw appears to be swollen this can be a sign of pericoronitis, a condition that is caused by partially erupted wisdom teeth. These can be very painful and cause swelling of the tissue towards the back of the mouth. The swelling could also be caused by stones or calcifications in the glands that result in a blockage. Any appearance of swelling in the jaw should be cause for concern and you should contact our emergency dentist in Scarborough for an appointment.

Localized Infection

The accumulation of bacteria in your mouth can cause inflammation, which could develop into advanced gum disease. This commonly results in loose teeth and localized infection. Treating an infection without delay can prevent it from spreading, however, and potentially help you to avoid extractions.

Knocked-Out Tooth

More than 5 million teeth get knocked out by injury or accident every year. If you’re able to rescue the tooth, your dentist might be able to reinsert it. Pick it up carefully without touching the root, rinse it without scrubbing and reinsert it into the tooth socket if you can. If not, place it in a small quantity of milk and immediately bring it to your dentist to see if we can reinsert it.

Dental Abscess

An abscessed tooth is a severe tooth infection that has spread to the tooth root. It can cause fever, tooth sensitivity, pain, swelling, and gum inflammation and requires a visit to our emergency dentist in Scarborough. This situation needs urgent treatment because the infection can spread to your jaw, tissues, and other parts of the body. Emergency care could include fillings, tooth extraction or root canal therapy, and antibiotics to take during the root canal recovery period.

Discover real emergency dental care that treats every patient as an individual, and get your concerns taken care of immediately. Please call 416-291-3117 or click here to schedule an appointment today.

How to Prevent Tooth Grinding While You Sleep

Dental Clinic in Scarborough

Grinding your teeth while you sleep is no joke, and people who suffer from this condition report know well how much discomfort it can cause. Chipped, cracked, and worn-down teeth, tight and tired jaw muscles, sleep disruption, injury to the tissues inside your cheeks, and even jaw dislocation—the list is long. At our dental clinic in Scarborough, we take the symptoms of bruxism seriously. We help you look for the causes of your tooth grinding and recommend steps you can take to help prevent developing this condition.

Reducing Risk Factors

Prevention is always better than cure, so instead of waiting until you develop bruxism, it’s worthwhile trying to manage or your risk for the condition. Factors that can increase your chances of tooth grinding include:

• Stress levels: Any form of chronic stress, anxiety, pressure, anger, or frustration can lead to tooth grinding because of the tension in your body when you drift into sleep.
• Age group: Although bruxism can affect anyone, it’s most common in adults aged 25 to 44, with a higher number of female sufferers. Young children often experience tooth grinding that goes away as they get closer to adulthood.
• Personality: People with a highly competitive, hyperactive, or aggressive personality often experience symptoms of bruxism triggered by pressure.
• Genetic factors: Bruxism is common among members of the same family.
• Chemical substance usage: Some antidepressant medications and substances such as coffee, tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs can increase your risk for tooth grinding.
• Medical conditions: Certain mental and physical disorders can heighten your risk for bruxism, such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, and sleep-related conditions like apnea and night terrors.

By managing these factors, you can reduce your risk of developing bruxism and avoid the issues accompanying night-time tooth grinding before they occur.

Managing Your Condition

If you’re already waking up to the effects of bruxism in the mornings, it’s time to take a more active approach to managing your condition. The experienced team at our dental clinic in Scarborough will be able to determine whether you need treatment or not. Many children outgrow bruxism without having treatment, while adult patients often don’t have it seriously enough to need therapy. If your condition is severe, however, there are dental measures we can take to provide relief from the discomfort and prevent further damage to your teeth and jaw.

Custom Night Guards

Splints and mouth guards are designed to separate your upper and lower teeth, which prevents damage from occurring as a result of grinding them together. These are specially crafted from hard acrylic or soft materials to fit your mouth perfectly. A  well-fitted, custom night guard is comfortable and doesn’t move during the night. This helps you to sleep soundly and avoid taking the guard out, which delivers the maximum benefit.

Dental Correction

In severe cases of bruxism where the teeth are excessively worn down, causing sensitivity and difficulty chewing, our dental clinic in Scarborough might recommend having the surfaces of your teeth reshaped. Alternatively, we may suggest fitting crowns to repair the damage  and protect the natural teeth in the future.

Behavioural Measures

Reduce your tooth grinding and the symptoms of bruxism by learning strategies to promote relaxation and help you manage your stress or anxiety. Meditation or counselling can help you implement these measures.

Our dentists can teach you to practice the correct mouth and jaw position, which could help you change the behaviour that causes tooth grinding. Biofeedback is useful for learning to control the muscle activity in your jaw.

Use Medications

Medication should be a last resort for patients suffering from symptoms of bruxism, but some of the options available include:

• Muscle relaxants taken before bedtime
• BOTOX injections
• Anti-anxiety medications to help with stress or emotional problems

Treatment for Other Disorders

If your bruxism is an adverse reaction to a drug you’re taking for another condition, changing medications could help. Getting a diagnosis and treatment for sleep-related conditions such as sleep apnea might reduce your incidence of tooth grinding. If any other medical conditions affect your rest, treating these successfully might positively impact your bruxism.

Restful sleep is vital for overall good health, and if your tooth grinding is causing interference for you or a loved one, it’s essential to get the correct treatment. Call 416-291-3117 or click here to schedule an appointment with our dental clinic in Scarboroughtoday to discuss a custom nightguard  or other options for preventing and treating bruxism.

Adult Orthodontic Treatment: Braces vs. Clear Retainers

Although childhood is the ideal time to correct any positioning problems with your teeth, many people didn’t have the opportunity as children to get the dental care they needed. In addition, dentistry has progressed tremendously over the past 20 years, which means the options on offer now far outpace those that were available in the 1980s and 1990s. Adult orthodontics include Invisalign from our Scarborough dental office, which enables you to enhance your smile regardless of your current age. You aren’t alone, either, because the American Association of Orthodontists states that one in four orthodontic patients is over age 18.

Types of Adult Orthodontics

Adult orthodontic patients seek treatment for a range of dental concerns, including a crossbite, crooked teeth, overcrowding, or gaps between the teeth. The most common forms of treatment are the use of braces, and fortunately the days of unsightly metal braces or unwieldy headgear are gone. Options now include braces, Invisalign aligners, and clear retainers. Many of these are almost invisible, although even braces with visible components are less unattractive than in the past. Here are some of the benefits of choosing Invisalign vs. braces.

Braces

Many adult orthodontic issues can be treated effectively by fitting the patient with braces, which have traditionally been used for decades. Braces now come in a range of streamlined models, including some made from tooth-coloured ceramic. This helps them to be less obvious in the mouth, although they do still have visible components such as wires or rubber bands. The braces are attached to your teeth for the duration of the treatment and are not removable. Although most patients quickly get used to wearing braces, they do require extra care to keep the teeth clean. Wearers are also discouraged from eating certain foods that can cause damage to the braces.

Invisalign Treatment

When you choose Invisalign orthodontic treatment, you’ll be fitted for a series of clear aligners that gradually change the position of the teeth. They are thin, plastic-type trays made according to your impressions, which fit perfectly over your teeth. These are engineered to put gentle pressure on the problem teeth, guiding them slowly into place.

You’ll be required to change to a new aligner every two weeks, or according to the schedule our Invisalign Scarborough dentist provides. The aligners are not only virtually invisible, but are also removable for eating, brushing, or briefly on social occasions. As long as you wear them for at least 22 hours a day, you’ll receive the benefit of the treatment.

Wearing Clear Retainers Afterwards

Most patients are required to wear clear retainers for at least 6 months after Invisalign treatment ends, to maintain the results delivered by the aligners. In some instances, you may have to wear these for longer, depending on your individual situation. Our Invisalign dentists in Scarborough will be able to determine whether you need to go on wearing retainers and for how long.

Cost Factors

Invisalign cost in Canada ranges from $2,000 to $8,000. According to manufacturers, treatment can cost between $3,000 and $9,000, but having dental insurance can significantly reduce costs. Most insurance companies pay for your dental visits, and a portion of the treatment cost for each year you’re having treatment. The initial cost of traditional braces could be slightly lower, but any repairs or replacement parts will be for your account or your insurance. This means that for patients who are eligible for either procedure, the costs are comparable.

Resolving your dental issues and enhancing your smile can be life-changing, and with the advancements in adult orthodontics there’s no reason why you shouldn’t benefit from the opportunities available. To schedule an appointment to discuss your options with an experienced, compassionate Invisalign dentist in Scarborough, please call 416-291-3117 or click here to contact us today.

Important Dentistry Milestones in Your Child’s Life

Every parent wants to keep their children’s oral health in peak condition, and that means getting quality dental care from the outset. Just like other types of healthcare, there are some important dentistry dates you should observe to achieve this, starting with your little one’s very first appointment with our family dentist in Scarborough.

First Dental Visit

Your child’s first to the dentist is a momentous occasion. It’s essential to find an office that offers pediatric dentistry as a service option, because there are a number of issues affecting kids’ dental care that don’t apply to adults. One of these is the arrival of primary or “baby” teeth, which usually begins between 4 and 6 months of age. This is the best time to bring your baby in for an examination, discuss your family history with the dentist, and to ensure the child has a strong foundation for a healthy mouth later in life.

As the little one’s baby teeth develop, make sure you have the benefits of regular dental check-ups by scheduling a visit every 6 months. Many people don’t realize the importance of keeping the primary teeth in their correct position until they fall out naturally. This is vital for the sound development of permanent teeth, however, because the primaries support the structure of a child’s mouth and help with speech development.

Getting Baby Teeth

Between the ages of 6 and 12 months, most children first get their upper and lower front teeth or central incisors. These are followed by lateral incisors between 10 and 16 months, and the first molars between 13 and 19 months. By 2 years old they should have enough primary teeth for them to be touching each other, and all 20 expected baby teeth should arrive by age 3. Remember, though, that all children are different, and that this can cause these timelines to vary. In addition, girls often develop faster than boys do, and they might both get and lose their baby teeth earlier as a result.

Learning Oral Hygiene

Proper tooth brushing and flossing are critical for lifelong good oral health, and the earlier your child begins learning to do this regularly the better. By the age of 1 year, most children should have undergone at least one visit to our family dentist in Scarborough. You can begin teaching a child at this age to accept a soft bristle toothbrush and to spit out the toothpaste after cleaning. If it’s too soon for toothpaste, brushing even with a little water is a good way to start building sound oral care habits.

Once all the baby teeth have erupted, learning to floss is a useful addition to the daily brushing routine. Encourage your little ones to floss after each meal, even if it isn’t being done as effectively (or regularly) as you’d like. By establishing robust dental hygiene routines early, you can help to prevent dental problems from arising in the future.

Receiving Permanent Teeth

On average, children start losing their baby teeth between 6 and 7 years old, followed by the eruption of the first permanent molars. These are new teeth in that they don’t replace any baby teeth, and that means they are occasionally mistaken for primary teeth. Once these start to erupt, it’s imperative that your child has learned to exercise good dental hygiene, because the molars play an important role in determining the shape of the face and the position—and health—of the other permanent teeth. By age 13, most children have 28 permanent teeth and are only lacking their third molars or wisdom teeth.

Orthodontic Check

At our family dentist in Scarborough, we recommend every child gets an orthodontic check by the age of 7 years. The reason for this is to see whether the child has any potential problems that could cause permanent teeth to erupt in unsuitable positions. At this stage in the natural growth processes. it’s possible to correct issues such as a crossbite or to use an appliance to expand the palate if the child is at risk of tooth overcrowding. If serious conditions like these are left untreated, the child might need oral surgery later to correct them.

Wisdom Teeth

The third molars or wisdom teeth usually come in between 17 and 25 years, and often erupt without any problems. We often discover, however, that a patient’s mouth is too crowded for the third molars to develop in the correct position behind the second molars. When this happens, the molars become impacted inside the gum tissue, where they are difficult to reach and clean. This makes them vulnerable to tooth decay and can cause gum disease, bad breath, pain, and swelling. Frequently, wisdom teeth are removed surgically even if they don’t present problems, to avoid issues later in life.

To schedule appointments for every stage of your child’s dental development with an experienced, compassionate family dentist in Scarborough, please call 416-291-3117 or click here to contact us today.

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Top 7 Reasons Why Dental Implants Save You Money in the Long Term

If you have been considering dental implants but have held off because 2020 was such a challenging year, now is the time to set your sights on getting them done in the new year. A common thought is that implants are so expensive you don’t know whether it’s worth investing so much money in your appearance. Other patients who have had dental implants in our Scarborough office discovered after they made their decision to move forward with the procedure that it was well worth the cost.

Why You Should Consider Dental Implants in Scarborough

Getting the care you need now will save you money over the long term. Here are the top 7 reasons why you should invest in dental implants in Scarborough:

1. Benefit from Implant Longevity

Your dental implants cost might initially be higher than some of the other tooth replacement options available, but once you’ve had them installed, they can last for several years and perhaps even for the rest of your life. Other restorative methods like dental crowns , dental bridges, and dentures all have a limited life span. This means that at some point you’ll need to address the root cause of the problem, which could mean additional investments down the road. It’s best to discuss specific case scenarios with our implant dentists, to determine whether you need to include treatment into your plan.

2. Eliminate the Risk of Future Decay

Imagine if you could be certain you’d have no risk of developing tooth decay at any point in your future. With dental implants, that’s exactly what you get. Certainly, you can still experience problems with any remaining natural teeth, and you can even develop a gum infection or abscess between your gum tissue and the implant. That’s not the same as a regular tooth cavity , however, and you can usually avoid these scenarios by taking quality care of your oral hygiene and getting regular dental check-ups.

3. Avoid Paying Over and Over

Once your dental implants cost is covered, you’re done. You won’t need to redo and pay for the same dental work again, which can happen if you have your natural teeth filled when they develop cavities. The best restorative procedures like crowns, veneers, bonding and bridges may eventually need to be replaced or reworked, and that can add up to a much higher financial commitment over the long term.

4. Save Yourself Pain

Not only will having the same dental treatments over and over cost you repeated financial outlays, you’ll also have to deal with the pain associated with dental caries, cracked and chipped teeth, potential root canals, and other procedures on an ongoing basis. Once you get the right type of dental implants for you, all you need to worry about is maintaining a good oral hygiene regimen and avoiding injury. This will help you save money on dental costs, pain medication, and other health issues.

5. Smile with Confidence

Appearances do matter. They matter for your self-esteem, wellbeing, your career, relationships, and the way people view you. To this end, your grooming, hygiene, and cleanliness are all very important for a confident appearance. Getting dental implants in Scarborough will help you to maintain these factors well into your senior years, without the inconvenience and cost of frequent dental treatments.

6. Preserve Your Bone Structure

One of the drawbacks of restorative options such as bridges or dentures is bone resorption. Bones are comprised of living tissue, which can break down and shrink over time if it’s not adequately supported. Bridges and dentures fail to provide the necessary level of bone support, but dental implants put the same force and pressure on the jaw as a natural tooth would. This stimulates tissue regrowth, preventing the loss of bone structure and maintaining both the strength of the jaw and the shape of your face.

7. Eat the Healthy Foods You Want

It’s not only your appearance that counts, however. The ability to bite, chew, and swallow wholesome foods is critical for your overall good health. What if you were unable to eat anything besides mushy or soft foods and semi-liquids? How hard would it be to get the nutrients your body needs to function effectively? Having a successful dental implant procedure early enough in your life to become fully accustomed to them means even as a senior you’ll have no difficulty following a healthy, affordable diet.

The Bottom Line

While cost is an important factor in your decision, there are other benefits of investing in dental implants as early as possible. Our daily lives consist of relationships, which depend on communication. Whether it’s in business, family, or other settings, if you have loose or missing teeth, painful fillings, a bad bite or any other oral dysfunction, you may find yourself struggling to get your messages across effectively. With dental implants, your mouth retains its correct shape. Your gums and bone are supported and maintained, and your speaking ability will enable you to continue communicating in all situations.

For more information on getting dental implants in Scarborough, set up a consultation with our experienced, compassionate dental team. Please call 416-291-3117 or click here to schedule an appointment today.

The Pros and Cons of Dental Bonding

Are your teeth stained, chipped, or broken, and you can’t invest in expensive dental restorations right now? If your answer is yes, then dental bonding is an economical solution you might want to consider. At our dental clinic in Scarborough, we offer dental bonding treatments to correct minor problems such as restoring the colour of a tooth, making teeth look slightly longer, or closing up tiny gaps between them. Bonding can also protect an exposed root if you have receding gums, and it’s a reliable option for filling small, visible cavities.

How Dental Bonding Works

Before applying dental bonding, our dentists use a shade guide to choose a colour that matches your natural teeth as closely as possible. The surface of your tooth is roughened to prepare it and then coated with a conditioner that helps the putty-like bonding material to adhere. We’ll carefully apply the material to the tooth and mould it into the right shape, then dry it using ultra-violet light or a laser. After that, the new surface is smoothed and polished to fit in perfectly with the rest of your teeth.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Dental Bonding

Most dental procedures have some disadvantages, but fortunately, the ones associated with dental bonding are minimal and are balanced by the advantages. Here are the pros and cons so you can make a fully-informed decision about your dental care.

The Pros of Dental Bonding

1. It’s fast. It usually doesn’t take more than a single appointment at our dental clinic in Scarborough to apply the composite material to a couple of teeth. Of course, if you wanted to do more than one or two teeth, you might need a longer—or second—appointment.

2. It’s inexpensive. Not only does the shorter time in the dentist’s chair reduce your consultation costs, but the process itself doesn’t require any special equipment or treatment. This helps to keep the dental bonding cost affordable and economical for patients.

3. Bonding looks natural. The tooth-coloured material is engineered to blend in with your natural teeth, so it’s not obvious you’ve had cosmetic dental work done. That means only the area that requires restoration needs to be covered, not the entire tooth.

4. It’s non-invasive. When you have dental procedures like crowns or veneers, some of the tooth enamel needs to be removed. Once this has been taken away it doesn’t grow back, which means healthy teeth are less sturdy than they were before. Dental bonding only requires gentle roughening of the tooth surface to apply it, so the bulk of the tooth’s structure stays intact.

5. Bonded teeth are easy to care for. All you need to do is brush and floss as normal, and to avoid doing anything that would harm a natural tooth. Dental bonding can get damaged by accidental trauma or biting down on hard objects, just like your natural teeth.

The Cons of Dental Bonding

At our dental clinic in Scarborough, we recognize that the disadvantages of bonding are mostly related to durability and lifespan. These include:

1. It won’t last forever. Dental bonding doesn’t last quite as long as a crown will, partly because it usually only covers a portion of the tooth instead of the whole tooth.

2. Less stain-resistant. The composite material used in dental bonding is more porous than tooth enamel or porcelain, so it’s able to absorb deep colours from food and drink more easily than natural teeth or dental implants. You can overcome this issue with good dental bonding aftercare such as limiting your intake of coffee, wine, and other dark-coloured substances, or by stepping up your daily oral hygiene and brushing more often. It’s especially helpful to brush or rinse directly after consuming anything with a rich colour, in addition to your twice-daily regimen.

Dental bonding doesn’t solve every tooth problem you might have, but it can certainly be a great solution for minor defects or for a tight dental care budget.

For more information on cosmetic bonding at our dental clinic in Scarborough, we invite you to consult with our experienced, compassionate dental team. Please call 416-291-3117 or click here to schedule an appointment today.

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