31
JulWeekend Fireworks

Have fun this long weekend enjoying the fireworks. As beautiful as they may be, fireworks can be dangerous and scary for many. Never let a young child play with sparklers unattended. The stem gets really hot and the sparks fly off and can burn skin quite severely. Consider a glow stick instead for the very young. Make sure all fireworks are fire marshal-approved, and the person lighting the fireworks should wear fitted clothing, gloves and safety glasses. There should always be a water source nearby, such as a bucket or a hose.

Hearing loss is another common injury from fireworks, second to burns. Earplugs are a wise choice for anyone while watching fireworks. The sound can be very loud for children so ear mufflers are highly recommended. If ringing in your ears or muffled hearing persists more than 24 hours after, have your hearing checked.

The loud bang noises can often trigger a fight or flight effect in our fur babies. They may show signs of anxiety by panting, shaking or hiding. It is best to keep your dog inside, try a calming wrap and try to desensitize them with treats. Plan to take them out for an early potty break so that you don't need to go out during the loud noises in the neighbourhood.

**Please note: The August Civic Holiday is not a designated fireworks day and residents are not permitted to set off fireworks on their property unless they have obtained a permit from Toronto Fire Services. Fireworks are not permitted in

22
JulIs your Pool water staining your teeth?

Nothing is more refreshing than playing around in a swimming pool on a hot day. Some people visit their local community pool or participate in backyard swim and BBQ afternoons. Many children are involved in camp programs that include daily swimming lessons and open swim. If you are lucky enough to have your own pool, you may plunge in daily when temperatures are at their highest. Unfortunately, there are some downfalls to having regular exposure to swimming pool water. Besides drying out your skin and turning your hair green, you may not be aware; it can actually promote tooth erosion or tooth staining.

“Researchers at New York University (NYU) and The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) have both reported that prolonged exposure to unbalanced pool water can result in tooth stains and the erosion of tooth enamel.  Also, The American Journal of Epidemiology published the results of a survey of close to 750 competitive swimmers, from 1986 to the present. About 39 per cent of them had experienced tooth enamel erosion and stains”.
 

Swimming pools need to be kept at a pH level of about 7.5. If that level increases to more than 7.8 ( pH to high) , the water is in an alkaline state. Studies show that when children and adults swam for more than six hours each week in an alkaline pool, they were at a higher risk for developing stained teeth. Unsightly stains appear as a result of the high pH water combined with

14
AprBlack stain on kids teeth

Black staining of teeth due to Chromogenic (coloured) bacteria can be a source of poor self-esteem for patients, especially children. It looks like pigmented black lines along the gumline. This type of stain seems to be more prevalent in children. It is due to the presence of a form of bacterial plaque living in the child’s oral environment. Children that are prone to this usually outgrow it as their adult teeth erupt. The bacteria native to the oral environment does change over time.

The best and only way to get rid of this black staining is good oral hygiene. This requires both diligent home care and regular dental visits. Colonization of plaque bacteria can occur within 24 hours of brushing and within 72 hours this colonization irreversibly adheres to your tooth surface...Hence brushing in an interval of 12 hours can help in preventing this colonization. Consistent strict oral hygiene measures like brushing twice daily and flossing are the only way to prevent staining due to bacteria. Regular visits to your dentist can also keep a check on staining issues. These stains do polish off with dental prophylaxis, but they do come back…. so home care is the only way to keep it at a minimum until the next dental visit.

Other causes of tooth staining, aside from chromogenic bacterial staining, include habits like smoking, betel

19
NovTOP CHOICE NOMINEE

For the 5th year in a row , Innovation Drive Dental  is proud to announce that we are a 2021 Top Choice Award Nominee! For Top Dental office in Vaughan.  Now, we need your help to WIN! Voting is now open and if you feel that we have earned your vote, we would appreciate your support.

Go to https://www.topchoiceawards.com and search for Innovation Drive Dental

13
NovWisdom teeth issues as an Adult

Most people associate wisdom teeth with late teens and young adults. They start to develop and grow-in between 18 and 25 years of age. Patients feel that if they have had no issues by the time they turn 30 they are "out of the water ".  As dentists, we know that this is just not the case. We see patients with wisdom tooth concerns at all ages. These teeth are very far back in your mouth and keeping them clean is very difficult. Wisdom teeth are more likely to get cavities than other teeth just due to the fact that cleaning them may be close to impossible. As dentists we struggle to get a successful filling in the wisdom teeth as well, so often they are recommended to be removed rather than restored. For those patients that have decided to keep their impacted wisdom teeth, it is important to follow them with regular xrays, as widom teeth can burrow a hole into the tooth infront of if from underneith the bone. This will ultimately result in the unfortunate loss of a healthy tooth, which could have been prevented.

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom teeth can just start hurting even later in life. Many people get misdiagnosed with

08
OctHow Do I Select the Best Dentist Near Me

How do I choose a dentist near me? There is a dentist office in every plaza. Which one do I choose? Studies have shown that most people google business or product before deciding if it is right for them. Reviews have a lot of merit. As a business owner, we take these reviews very seriously. It is one of the best compliments for someone to write an unsolicited review. But, as much as reading reviews are important, word of mouth referrals are also a great way to find a dentist. Speak to your neighbours or the other parents at school drop off or pick up, or at the other local businesses you attend. Furthermore, you can post a question on the local social

05
JunReopening June 15th

To all Our Valued Patients

We are finally reopening, and we can’t wait to see all of you.  We are now allowed to resume all services. This means that Dentists can slowly begin seeing more patients for more types of treatment again. While this is Good news, it doesn’t mean it is back to business as usual. There is still a pandemic happening and we are taking extra precautions to ensure everyone’s protection. This takes time. When you come in you will see many changes that we have made in the office. For the next little while, the reception area will be quite bare, and you will see some barriers placed on the front desk. The ventilation system has been upgraded and we have ordered HEPA filters for each treatment room as well as large aerosol collecting equipment. These look like “elephant trunks’ as we call them.  The staff will be dressed in some different gear, sometimes more than other times depending on the treatment provided.

For those of you that know us well know we love to chat and spend time with our patients, and you can always count on a smile from us. But, for now, this smile will be under our mask as the staff and any patients entering the clinic are required to wear a mask at all times. You will be sent a screening questionnaire to be filled out once before the appointment AND again on the day of the appointment.