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Dr. Michal Goralski

Using Cell Phone for Tooth Pictures
Using Cell Phone for Tooth Pictures 150 150 Kids Dentistry Barrie

…with your cell phone

You would be surprised how often we get emails from patients asking about this or that. Inevitably we ask them to send in a picture of what they see and inevitably those pictures are blurry.

Cell phones take great intra-oral (tooth) pictures — they have a very small sensor and hence a small aperture to create a deep depth of field (everything stays in focus) and they have the flash very close to the lens. You don’t need an expensive macro photograph rig, but you do need to set up your phone properly.

Open up you camera app.

  • FLASH ON | Whether Android or Apple, make sure to turn FLASH ON (not just AUTO FLASH, it has to be on so that it fires with every shot not just when the phone thinks it’s dark).
  • USE TIMER | Set a timer for 2-3 seconds. This lets you press the shutter button while still having 2-3 seconds to make sure the phone is aimed at your target and stead, and to retract lips or cheeks if need be.
  • ZOOM 4X | Then use you fingers to pinch zoom out to 4X zoom. This should make it so that to get a picture from one corner of the smile to the other your phone will be some 6-8 inches away from the smile.

Press the shutter button to start the timer. Make sure the phone is steady and that you are pulling away cheeks/tongue/etc so that the subject of your shot is visible.

Pediatric Dentist & Father

Dr. Michal Goralski

Office Policies
Office Policies 1920 883 Kids Dentistry Barrie

Appointment Policy

Please let us to get to know your child so we can tailor care to their needs. Arrive 15 minutes early for all new patient appointments so that you can complete a medical history form and provide other information.

If you are late, there may not be enough time left in your appointment to complete a comprehensive exam and give your child the attention they deserve. In such cases, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

Please understand that a missed appointment is time wasted. It is time that could have been used by another child in need of care. If cancellation is unavoidable, please call right away.  We ask for at least 48 hours in advance to reschedule. An administrative fee may be charged otherwise.

A parent or guardian MUST accompany the child for their first appointment so that an informed treatment plan can be formulated. After the initial visit, someone other than the guardian may accompany your child to the appointments, but it is critical that a guardian be present for the first visit.  Only the guardian can legally consent to have an exam performed.

Financial Policy

We try to keep our office efficient and keep you informed about your financial obligations without surprises. We accept VISA, Master Card, Debit, and cash as payment. Payment in full is required at the time of service, and we will gladly file your insurance claim electronically to your insurer for direct reimbursement to you.   This process ensures prompt reimbursement directly to you.

We have no control over your insurance plan, their contract with you, or how benefits are determined. We can however file a predetermination of benefits with your insurer once a treatment plan is made so that you can be confident in what your dental benefits will cover.

If we run behind schedule…..

Children are unpredictable. Despite our best efforts, on occasion your scheduled appointment may be delayed. If this happens, it is usually because we have had to accommodate an emergency patient or an injured child. Please accept our apology and consider that we would make the same accommodation for your child if they had an emergency. We appreciate your understanding in these situations, and please understand that we make every effort possible to respect your time.

Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy and abide by the Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act. If you have any questions about how we manage your personal information, or any questions about our standard protocols, do not hesitate to speak with the reception staff or doctor.

Six Reasons to Take GOOD Care of Baby Teeth
Six Reasons to Take GOOD Care of Baby Teeth 1912 816 Kids Dentistry Barrie

Why bother taking care of them?  After all…they are just baby teeth.

As a pediatric dentist, I get this question all the time. Here is my answer, and why parents should take good care of the primary teeth.

  • To hold SPACE for the adult teeth – Primary teeth are place-holders and guides for permanent teeth. Without them, the adult teeth do not have a proper path to erupt into proper smile and bite. If the baby teeth become decayed, they get narrower and  get pushed closer together.  The adult teeth then have less space to grown into. If a child loses a baby tooth altogether much space will be lost, space that is needed by the adult tooth.
  • Proper SPEECH DEVELOPMENT – Without the front teeth, young children have difficulty articulating sounds properly. This leads to speech delay and lisps which can affect how a child learns and interacts with others.
  • Proper NUTRITION – You need strong healthy teeth to eat healthy foods. If children do not have strong teeth to chew with, they will be more likely to eat soft and processed foods, not healthy natural foods like raw veggies, fruits, and grains.
  • To develop SELF-CONFIDENCE – Once children start kindergarten, they notice how their peers look and behave, and their peers notice them. A healthy smile projects confidence, whereas a smile with obvious cavities or missing teeth can make a child self conscious. Children can be more shy and withdrawn because they become self conscious of their appearance.
  • To LEARN and GROW – A toothache is a terrible thing to have. Tooth pain is a frequent cause of school absenteeism, sleeplessness, and lack of concentration. Children need to be rested and pain free to be ready for school and learning.
  • To PRACTICE good health habits – It’s hard to teach an old dog a new trick. But kids are impressionable and  eager to learn. If they learn right from the start that it is important take care of their mouth and teeth, and thereby to take care of themselves, they are more likely to keep those habits into adulthood. The opposite is also true.

Start with proper oral care and brushing when the first baby tooth erupts. Baby teeth are more important than you know.

Treating Young Children
Treating Young Children 1919 736 Kids Dentistry Barrie

“My son is only four. How can you possibly fix his cavities?”

With the right techniques, even very young children can cope with dental treatment. It is important not to develop a negative attitude towards dentistry, and healthcare in general.

Every child is different, and treatment is tailored specifically to each child based on temperament, maturity, and extent of treatment need. Sometimes we can fix dental problems without much fuss and without local anesthetic (freezing). Other times kids need more help overcoming their anxiety and a mild sedative is used. In certain cases, treatment while asleep under a general anesthetic is best. We can review options and let you decide.

All too often children come to us too late, and with severe dental disease and toothaches. These are the most difficult cases to manage because prompt treatment is needed but the child is already very anxious about care because of ongoing dental pain

If you are concerned about your young child’s teeth and do not want them to have a negative first experience, please see a dentist before they have a toothache.  Once something hurts, it is usually very late in the disease process and the child is already anxious and guarding.

“I don’t want my daughter to be scared of dentists.”

And nor should she be. The Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that a child establish a Dental Home by 12 months of age, or 6 months after the first teeth erupt.

Not every family dentist is comfortable with children that young. However, all our our staff are specifically trained and accustomed to making young children feel comfortable in a dental setting.  We will gladly see infants and toddlers for exams and treatment, and give you the information you need to raise healthy cavity-free kids. The number one cause of dental anxiety is a history of tooth pain and stressful dental treatment.  If your child is anxious, we can help them cope.

“We’ve tried, but our child can’t handle getting fillings.  Can you have her asleep for treatment?”

Yes, we can do that. It is a fact of life that as we get older, we get wiser and better able to cope with our emotions. Simply put, some children do not have the emotional maturity to cope with serious medical or dental treatment awake. If that is the case, the least traumatic way to address significant and urgent dental problems is dental treatment asleep (under a general anesthetic provided by a medical anesthesiologist – a medical doctor who is a specialist in anesthesia). Our office is equipped with a fully accredited surgical suite with a 15 year plus safety record where a board certified medical anesthesiologist from Royal Victoria Hospital will provide general anesthesia, and either Dr. Goralski or Dr. Morley will provide the dental treatment. In this situation, you have a medical specialist for the anesthesia and a dental specialist for the dental treatment. Anesthesia both at our In-Office Surgi Suite or at one of the local hospitals is available through our office

“Are there benefits to having dental treatment for my son asleep?”

Yes.  There are benefits to doing treatment while our young patients sleep.  Namely those are that kids are not stressed and potentially traumatized to dental treatment, all treatment is completed in one visit meaning less time lost from work/school, and you get a fresh start right away so that you can focus on preventing further cavities and disease. Read about dentistry asleep….

It is something that should be considered for young children that need extensive dental treatment.  You can discuss treatment under anesthesia with one of our pediatric dentists.

Philosophy of Care
Philosophy of Care 1920 882 Kids Dentistry Barrie
If you are considering bringing your child for an consult, or have been referred to us, this article will help you prepare for your visit. Most parents are nervous about their children seeing a dentist, and I hope some of this information will put you at ease.

The dentists that practice here are board certified specialist in pediatric dentistry. They have complete years of post-graduate training above and beyond that of a family dentist and have passed the rigorous licensing process to become a specialist. All of our staff are especially sensitive of the needs of young children.

We are a dental office specialized in and committed to helping children get proper oral healthcare

Treating teeth is easy. Taking care of kids is hard.

Anyone who has tried will attest to that. We make every effort to provide a nurturing environment where both parents and children are comfortable. Some kids will have the emotional maturity to cope well with dental treatment and some have not yet reached that emotional milestone. Treatment options are tailored to each child’s maturity level and ability to cope.

Help your child build a strong beautiful smile that projects confidence. My advice to you is to start early and be prevention minded

Dental cavities are the most common childhood disease, far more common than asthma, and are 100% preventable.  It is not enough to remove dental decay once a cavity has started.  We strive to do more than that.  With the right information and a little hard work, we can show you how to keep kids cavity-free for a lifetime.

Pediatric Dentist & Father

Dr. Michal Goralski

Let’s fly away
Let’s fly away 2560 1440 Kids Dentistry Barrie

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring.

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies.

A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image, and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us, as it floats around us in an eternity of bliss; and then, my friend, when darkness overspreads my eyes, and heaven and earth seem.

About

KidsDentistry.ca is a pediatric dental office for children. Dr. Goralski and Dr. Morley are experienced and board certified Pediatric Dentists. The office has provide dental care to Barrie and the Muskoka-Simcoe community for decades.  Learn about the doctors….

Philosophy

We believe in kind dental care for children and providing the best experience possible kids and their parents. That means we offer a full spectrum of treatment options to manage dental anxiety from behaviour management to sleep dentistry.  Find out more….

Contact

300 Lakeshore Dr. Suite 200 Barrie, ON | L4N 0B4

705 722 3213  info@kidsdentistry.ca

© KidsDentistry.ca. All rights reserved 2022

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