UAlberta SMILES 2020/2021

UAlberta SMILES 2020/2021 Community Magazine

Vital to the health of our communities What’s inside?

Feature stories

Additional stories

UAlberta Smiles | Fall 2020 Edition Editor: Cheryl Deslaurier Writer: Jessalyn King Designer: Jessalyn King Photos (unless otherwise marked): Jessalyn King

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The social visit to the dentist Pandemic changes protocol, but not the relationship

Students helping underserved populations Dental hygiene students learning in long-term care facilities

Tooth and paw

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Oral health for our four-legged friends

Are you afraid of the dentist?

What can you do if you are?

5 . . . . ToothSOS: What to do after dental trauma 9 . . . . When your smile doesn’t make you smile: are implants right for you?

11 . . . . Dental alumnus giving back 15 . . . . Breathing through apnea diagnosis 17 . . . . Art in the dental hygiene program 19 . . . . The stars of the show: how do we tell if pediatric patients are anxious?

25 . . . . Sharing smiles and oral health information

VITAL TO THE COMMUNITY Dentistry through a pandemic For over 100 years, the School of Dentistry has been providing oral health care to the community of Edmonton and surrounding areas through our teaching programs.

The importance of highquality dental education and care cannot be understated in maintaining a healthy community. Just like your physical and mental health are important, so, too, is your oral health.

As dentistry services fall outside of the public medical healthcare system, they can be expensive. The benefit of the school’s programs is

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that while the students are learning to become dentists, dental hygienists and oral healthcare specialists, they provide oral healthcare services to the community at a low cost.

Many people do not realize the impacts of poor oral health. And many do not realize that if the oral healthcare system didn’t exist, the burden on the public

medical healthcare system would be astronomical.

Being vital to the health of our communities isn’t just about treating patients — it also involves sharing oralhealth information with the public. UAlberta SMILES focuses on oral-health education and awareness for the public and our patients.

We hope you enjoy it.

Please note that some photos highlighted in this publication were taken pre-COVID.

ToothSOS: App helps in the crucial seconds after dental injury

Have you ever lost or broken a tooth?

While trauma occurs in every age bracket from accidents, falls or sports injury, children and seniors have the highest rates.

Your dentist is the best place to call first, but what if it’s Friday at 5 PM? The School of Dentistry offers an emergency clinic for walk-in patients at the University of Alberta Hospital. Many people with purely dental trauma end up in the emergency room, which is usually not staffed to treat dental issues.

Dr. Liran Levin, professor at the School of Dentistry, says it’s critical to know what to do and where to go in the first few minutes after trauma. “It would be even better to prevent the trauma,” Levin says. “But we can’t run around with a mouth guard all day!”

For athletes, having a custom mouthguard made might be something to consider. For older adults, making sure your house is outfitted to prevent falls the best prevention.

Photo: Submitted

The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) created a free mobile app

Common trauma Tooth knocked out

Crown broken

Cut tongue or lip

What to do now? Where to go?

How soon?

Immediately Your dentist, or try putting the an emergency tooth back into dentist. its place, every second is crucial.

If you can’t, store it in milk.

Store the broken Your dentist. part in water and see your dentist when you can.

Keep calm! It Your dentist might seem like (when you can). a lot of blood.

If it doesn’t stop Apply pressure bleeding, visit with gauze or an emergency soft cloth. dentist or the ER.

called ToothSOS that helps navigate dental trauma. Levin highly recommends having it on your phone in case something happens. > Apple > Android

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THE SOCIAL VISIT TO THE DENTIST PANDEMIC CHANGES PROTOCOL, BUT NOT THE RELATIONSHIP

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Photo: Trevor Zahara

The School of Dentistry Oral Health Clinic operates as part of the School’s curriculum. As such, our students rely on our patients to complete their training.

Dr. Suzanne Depledge, a clinical professor, has nothing but love to share about our patients. “They’re really quite an exceptional group of people. They’re patient, kind and generous.”

Since appointments are longer than your average dentist visit, our patient base is mostly retired and some have built their visits into their routines. Dr. Suzanne Depledge, clinical professor says, “It can be a kind of outing. Most of our patients look forward to coming in.”

Students, patients, and instructors all get to know each other. Depledge says, “You’d be surprised what people can tell you, even through a rubber dam! Being in a dental chair isn’t much of a barrier to communication for us.”

Mireille Szostak, DDS 2021, Szostak says, “I love doing fillings and dentures as much as the next person, but I think what I look forward to most is getting to know my patients!”

Depledge says, “Our patients are the biggest cheerleaders for our students and want them to succeed.”

At the end of the school year, patients are assigned to new

students to look after them, and even though patients are sad to see them go, they’re happy the students are moving on.

One patient says, “With every student you’re going to have a different dynamic. Even in a two-year cycle you have opportunity to do some connecting because you are seeing the student several times.”

With the stricter infection prevention protocols in place due to COVID, Depledge says everyone has found it hard to not hug or shake hands as they arrive and leave, because they’re like family.

Depledge says, “Many of our students are from out of town and they appreciate receiving that care from their patients.”

Since the Oral Health Clinic has been reopened, Depledge says patients have been as amazing as always. “They just kind of roll with it. They have total trust in us to keep them safe. And everyone’s just

happy to be back and to see their students!”

One of the big changes will be that students will be practicing “four-handed dentistry”, or being paired up with another student for each appointment. One student will act as assistant while the other performs the procedure. Depledge says so far, “It’s like double the joy for the patient! It might even put the patient more at ease just hearing the chatter back and forth, which can be a distraction from the drill.”

“I had a patient who had to have all his teeth extracted and a complete set of dentures, which requires many appointments. Instead of being frustrated by how long his case was taking, he was always kind and gracious.

He even called a radio station to rave about how great the U of A clinic was treating him.

It’s safe to say that I can’t wait to see this patient every time he comes in!

We are lucky to have such wonderful patients as we do, and we would like to express a big thank you.

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When your smile

DOESN’T MAKE YOU SMILE

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Photo: Pexels Stock

Are implants right for you?

Imagine not having your front teeth. You had a bad fall and weren’t able to save them in time, or your genes predispose you to losing bone mass. Or you lost them to severe gum disease. Whatever the reason, you’re missing two teeth. Would you have them replaced?

Dr. Tyler Verhaeghe, a professor at the School of Dentistry, says a lot of thought needs to go into that question. “It’s not always about aesthetics.”

On top of aesthetics, considerations include: • The function of the teeth • How others perceive them, financial matters • Their own psychological wellbeing or confidence.

He says most often teeth missing in the ‘smile zone’ at the front of the mouth are replaced for aesthetic reasons while those at the back for functional reasons.

“But it’s a really personal decision. Some people can manage just fine with missing teeth, depending on what stage of life they’re in and where their priorities lie.”

For prosthodontists, dentists like Verhaeghe who specialize in designing, manufacturing, and fitting artificial replacements for teeth and other parts of the mouth, Verhaeghe says it’s all about building the relationship with the patient.

He says, “Most doctors spend at least two — if not more — appointments before anyone makes a decision.”

Both sides need to have clear expectations of the prosthesis. What do you want out of it?

“And it can come down to little nuances,” he says.

“Some patients don’t want something removable because that would make them feel like their grandparents.”

Dental implants, like any implant, pose risks. They can be rejected or fail for a number of reasons.

They also need to be maintained with a home cleaning routine and continued visits to the dentist.

And even then, most implants last 10-15 years.

On top of all that, a treatment plan may include referrals to specialists before the implant can be safely put in. Straightening the teeth, or getting a root canal for example.

Verhaeghe remembers a patient at the clinic missing a few teeth on one side of her mouth.

On the other side, she had a gold bridge.

During her initial appointments, she told the team that even though she was blind, she wanted her grandchildren to appreciate when she smiled at them. She wanted a second bridge to mirror the one she had. One instructor suggested she also put a diamond on her upper front teeth.

When she came back for her first checkup appointment, she was so happy she was almost in tears. Verhaeghe says, “She hugged everybody!

Her grandkids had said, ‘Oh grandma your teeth are awesome!’ And that just gave us such a sense of accomplishment. It’s something the literature could never describe.”

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Dr. Amreesh Khanna (DDS 2007) holds his core values close to his heart. “Helping my community is really important to me. My parents were always involved in community and volunteering, and they really shaped my personal and professional values.”

During his time at the School of Dentistry, he founded SHINE Dentistry, a student-led voluntary clinic where youth who cannot otherwise afford dental care could get service for free on Saturdays at the Boyle McCauley Dental clinic. He says it was a big endeavour to start.

He was thankful for the support from the community and raised over $40,000 for supplies to get the clinic going. “I was in second year and I had no idea how to set up a clinic! I was lucky to be mentored by an instructor who encouraged me to continue.”

Khanna decided to set up two scholarships for SHINE students to honour the memory of his father. “I want to help recognize those students who go above and beyond their schooling through volunteering and community contribution, which is exactly what my father stood for.”

He says, “My father worked hard as an immigrant in the 70s

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to build his career, create a life for his family and an impact to the community. He was the guy people went to for help.”

Fast forward to this year when COVID hit, and practices ground to a halt, Khanna founded Cause to Smile, a new charitable organization that focuses on contributing to the community and giving others a cause to smile. He reached out to his SHINE alumni community and asked them, “Who are we if we can’t do patient care?”

In June and July, Cause to Smile partnered with Canadian Blood Services to raise awareness and increase blood donations in Alberta, which had dipped since the pandemic.

DENT AL

GIVIN BAC

Reconnecting with SHINE brought pride to his heart. “14 years later, and performing over $100,000 in treatment to those in need every year. Who would have thought!”

Please note: Due to the growing concerns regarding COVID-19, SHINE Dentistry has made the difficult decision to close our doors indefinitely at this time. To protect our volunteers, staff, and patients (who often wait for extended periods of time in our waiting area), we at SHINE are taking social precautions seriously. We encourage our patients and volunteers to be cautious and put their health first during this time.

TAL LUMNUS

NG CK

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Photo: Ieva Mikitanovs

STUDENTS HELPING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS 12

Dental hygiene students learning in long-term care facilities In their last two years of school, students in the Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene degree program are sent to work in alternative practice settings. This past year, these settings included the Cross Cancer Institute, the Edmonton Remand Centre, and various long-term care facilities in Edmonton.

These experiences are intended to broaden the students’ horizons, and challenge the students’ knowledge in the context of unknown situations.

One instructor shared that the rotations show students what they can do beyond the common private-practice model.

Interacting with different populations in need is often a new experience for students leaving a large impression on them, which can foster empathy and understanding.

The emotional impact on the students was great, but it also opens a dialogue with the instructors on dealing with these emotions in a clinical setting.

Ieva Mikitanovs, who graduated in June from the Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene program, has seen long-term

care facilities from the patient side before coming to school. Her father is paralyzed and has been living in a facility for over ten years.

During her schooling here, she spent time in the facilities as a practitioner and now can see both sides. “I learned that there is need for hygienists as health professionals to be more involved in the care of residents at these facilities.”

She says the experience taught her a lot of soft skills, like communication and relationship building. She looks forward to being in full practice when she has more time to build the relationship.

The class offers students a bevy of unteachable skills (like patient-clinician connection, creative problem solving, and working in sub-optimal situations), and offers care to those populations that may not otherwise receive it.

“I see my future as a Registered Dental Hygienist involving myself in the longterm care setting. My heart is in this community.”

Please note: Due to the risks involved with COVID-19, our Long Term Care Facility Rotations have been suspended until further notice.

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BREATHING THROUGH APNEA DIAGNOSIS Treating obstructive sleep apnea with dental appliances

Shari Prommer thanks her lucky stars that she went on vacation with her family eight years ago.

Shari’s daughter, who shared a room with her, said, “Mom, do you know that you sit up and gasp for air many times during the night?” Shari says, “And I did not! I had no idea!

It had never woken me up.”

“I couldn’t do anything. I’d go to work, come home, eat dinner and crash. I hadn’t watched a full episode of a television show in years!” But the build was so gradual that she hadn’t noticed.

Thinking about it, Shari realized she had been exhausted all day, every day for a couple of years. She never felt rested.

Shari’s doctor diagnosed her with low thyroid function and moderate to severe sleep apnea.

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Dr. Ivonne Hernández, a professor at the School of Dentistry and a specialist in oral and facial pain at the TMD/Orofacial Pain and Sleep Disorders Clinic in Edmonton, says with available treatment options today, it’s much less scary than when she started treating people with apnea over ten years ago.

Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing for 10-30 seconds multiple times in a night.

Once she was diagnosed, Shari was given a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to try, the standard treatment for sleep apnea. She put it on the first night, and couldn’t sleep. The noise the machine makes kept her from falling asleep.

She says, “You’d think I’d sleep from pure exhaustion!

But the noise was in my head…”

Grumpy and sleep-deprived, she returned the CPAP to her specialist. She was told she would “get used to it,” but knowing herself, she objected and was referred to Dr. Hernández. She thought, “Why didn’t they tell me this first?!”

Shari says that within 2-3 days of getting the appliance, she says, “The difference was remarkable.” Even with the improvement to her energy from her thyroid treatment. “I went to sleep and felt like I’d had rest for the first time in years!”

Hernández says that CPAP machines unarguably treat obstructive apnea, but the problem can be that patients don’t use them for a variety of reasons, including noise and comfort. She says, “The appliances also work, not as fast, but as effectively, because patients are more compliant wearing them.”

The device Shari got pushes her jaw up and out so that her throat is opened and she can breathe properly all night.

“I had no trouble getting used to it! It’s a bit awkward to put in, but so worth it.”

This device has kept her stable for more than six years. Lethargy and exhaustion haven’t returned.

“I can make it through a full TV show now and it’s way better for work.”

Hernández says, “Every patient is different, and not every treatment option is right for everyone. In this case, an appliance worked best for the patient”.

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Life is unpredictable.

Once able-bodied and active, now dependent.

A hiker and explorer, now bound to a chair.

Once surrounded by landscapes and nature, now confined to four walls.

Life is predictable.

Everyone ages.

Everyone inevitably needs to depend on someone.

Never lose your light.

You are still you. Just in a different way.

This man chooses to surround himself with beautiful photos that he personally took, just at a different time in his life. These images are a great reminder to recognize that people hold more than what they currently present with. No one chooses to live with degenerative diseases, but everyone has a need for genuine human interaction

at any stage of life.

KD Class of 2020

ART IN THE DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM Please note: These pieces have been modified for legibility in print.

beautiful doesn’t stop at any age the night was not gentle with her hair, there are tangles and knots everywhere. her strings of hair are soon relieved of their stresses, as her brush smooths out her silver tabaret of tresses. with a bit of hairspray each strand is locked into its rightful place, and next she moves onto her face. her makeup merely touches her skin’s surface, since covering up her skin is not its purpose. wrinkles and age spots still subtly shine through, they tell stories of experience, emotion, and confidence too. a pop of color on her lips finishes her makeup routine. she takes a final look in the mirror and smiles, she gleams. she chooses a perfume and does a quick spray, then puts on her favorite jewelry and she’s off for the day. *****************************************

RH Class of 2020

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an inverse relation between beauty and age is implied these days, yet this woman showcases that beauty transcends age in many ways. after all, what isn’t beautiful about makeup, perfume, or hair? even young people focus on these things from the comfort of their vanity chair. perhaps beauty should not be associated with youthfulness or wealth, but instead with a life well lived, and a positive outlook even through declining health. just because a resident has a disability, and is staying at a long-term care facility, beauty is not something they’ve outgrown. beauty is a process, a feeling, and grows with age as this beautiful lady has shown.

“Look at these pieces, what do you see?”

All I see are separate prosthetics.

But they complete me.

I see you as the same, Still courageous and strong.

But without my prosthesis,

My confidence is long gone.

I see how you feel, but I don’t understand.

Maybe that’s because

you haven’t experienced it firsthand.

I see what you mean.

But I really don’t think you do.

With the loss of my features,

it’s hard to feel human like you.

I see what you’re saying, about these prostheses I see.

Yes, they give me what I’ve lost,

a part of my identity.

I now understand, as there’s more to your story, I just want to say I am very sorry.

Although cancer is to blame,

And a lot has come to change.

As a cancer survivor,

I am still the same.

AK & MD Class of 2019

Every year, the 4th-year dental hygiene students do a project using the photovoice research framework — to document perspectives about the needs of a community.

Students collect photographs that capture their experiences from their community practicums at locations such as long-term

care facilities, the Cross Cancer Institute, and the Edmonton Remand Centre.

The project asks students to think about the strengths and needs of less-powerful members of a community and start critical discussions that may challenge established norms and creating a platform for change.

Olive.

Michelle.

Do you know who she is?

Do you know what she loves?

What was her life like?

Does she have a family?

Where are they?

Where is she?

In her display box are photos of her.

She made quilts, baby blankets, and cinnamon buns.

She loved to garden and be with her dogs.

You can see her smiling with her family around her.

Caregiving. It is more than helping her when she cannot help herself anymore. It is treating her like family, showing her unconditional patience, treating her with understanding and compassion, and being with her when her family cannot.

Her life is more than a nametag sitting in an empty box. Fill her life with joy, laughter, and comfort.

In her room, can you see her?

She is alone. Lonely. Depressed.

Why?

BM Class of 2018

What meaning do these photos hold?

Does she remember the memories, feelings, and emotions captured in each photo?

What if she can’t remember anymore?

THE STARS OF THE SHOW How do we tell if pediatric patients are anxious?

Do you remember your childhood drawings? It turns out there’s a lot more going on in your drawings than we might think!

Masters student Silvia Ortiz has completed a study in the pediatric clinic at the School of Dentistry. She was studying how the young patients felt about their treatment.

She asked the children to draw everything about their experience at the dentist that day, and then interviewed them about their drawings.

To analyze the drawings, she used an instrument called “Child Drawing: Hospital.” This tool has been used in many pediatric healthcare studies to analyze child experiences.

The goal of the study was to help our dental students incorporate holistic treatment. Ortiz says, “It’s not just how good they are at completing the procedure.

It’s also about making that relationship with the child so that the child learns that dentistry is not scary.”

Overall, the study showed that the patients had more

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positive experiences than negative. Dr. Minn Yoon, one of Ortiz’s supervisors, says, “That’s great to know, but both positive and negative experiences can be used to better our students’ learning.

This study gives us data to open discussions.”

One recurring feature in the drawings was the room’s lights. Children with mostly positive experiences drew lights that were sized proportionately, whereas those with more negative experiences drew larger lights.

Ortiz says, “If the children focus on the lights, it is often a sign of anxiety.”

“The light is an analogy for a child’s overall experience,” Yoon says. “It can ‘illuminate’ — pun intended! — whether a student was able to connect with a child enough so that the child understood what was going on in their environment.”

Anxiety in child patients is most often resolved through connection with the dentist.

“The child is the star of the show in pediatric dentistry. So if you can explain everything to them ­— yourself, your partners, the setting, the instruments — it goes a long way to create that connection and reduce their anxiety.”

Ortiz has a bachelor’s of mathematics. She says, “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with math when I graduated. I didn’t want to be a pure mathematician and I was interested in healthcare.

I really liked the idea of patient experience and I love children. I came up with this idea and here we are.”

Yoon says, “This study is about understanding what the needs and perceptions are in the community, so we can ensure we’re meeting our motto of being vital to the community.”

This child had an overall positive experience. In the analysis, things that are important to note are that everything is detailed, the child is proportionate size to everything else, the details of the people were exact. This shows she made a deep connection with her dentist, even though she had a traumatic procedure done (she had a tooth removed). Notice that the light is proportionate to the child.

This child had an overall negative experience. She drew a monster underneath it all, and herself very small on the chair, to the point where she had to label herself. And the light is a prominent feature. Then she drew the ceiling lights as well (the five blue spots).

Both drawings are by 6 year old girls.

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Photo: Sharon Compton

TOOTH & PAW

ORAL HEALTH FOR OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS If you’ve been listening to your dentist over the years, you know that good oral hygiene is not just for people, but for our pets as well.

Robin Canuel from K9 Gentle Dental is an anesthetic-free dog tooth cleaner operating in Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver since 2011.

As it is for humans, a healthy mouth is a gateway for healthy life. “Bonus,” Canuel says. “It freshens their breath, so everyone wins.”

Dogs don’t usually live long enough to get tooth decay or cavities, but they are five times more prone to gum disease than humans and

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they can crack teeth or try to eat something that lodges in their mouths. Then they often ignore those problems.

Canuel says, “We’ve seen it all. A stick stuck up in the roof of their mouth, infections in the palate from hair getting stuck in the grooves, teeth split in half and both pieces still hanging... the amount of things that dogs will live with without complaint is bizarre, but if you touch their paw the wrong way and they’re screaming on the ground!”

The biggest thing missing from most people’s health care routine for their dogs is the diligent brushing. “It’s really the hardest part!”

She says it can be a fight at first, but if you stick with the training, it gets easier. If they run away from you, you need to drag them back to your tooth-cleaning spot and give them at least a scrub of the toothbrush. As with any other training, it also helps if you start as early as possible.

For small dogs, you can swaddle them. If they can’t fight, it reduces their anxiety and they stop trying to fight.

For larger dogs, you back them into a corner and put their head through your legs.

Another thing Canuel recommends is finding a toothpaste they like the taste of. “I use coconut oil, because I find most dogs like the taste of it. My dogs come swarming to me when I get it out.”

Canuel says, “We’re not veterinarians, so we don’t

give medical advice or diagnoses.” Nothing they say is meant as medical advice or a diagnosis, and the treatment isn’t intended to be given in isolation, without regular vet visits.

“Every day, we refer a dog or two back to their vets because of serious issues.

Our mission is to help people take care of their pets’ teeth, giving them information for their vet.”

For more information, visit k9gentledental.ca and pets.webmd.com/dogs.

• A raw diet has been proven to reduce bacteria.

• Brush their teeth weekly (more often if you can). Use a children’s toothbrush and either canine toothpaste or coconut oil.

• Supplement the brushing with safe chews (not too hard) twice a week.

Photo: Brandi Sliwa

She has a few tricks to help your dog to comply.

Dr. Sharon Compton, director of the Dental Hygiene program at the School of Dentistry, spot scales her dog’s teeth in between professional teeth cleanings when tartar build-up is visible and accessible. Knowing how important oral health is, she takes her dogs to both anesthetic-free cleaning and schedules deeper cleanings (requiring general anesthesia) with her vet.

• Bring your dog to the vet for a full cleaning under anesthetic at least a few times throughout their lives to see what’s going on below the gum-line.

Photo: Pexels Stock

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DENTIST? What can you do if you are?

Dentophobia, or the fear of the dentist, is a common problem for Canadians. From mild anxiety at the sight of a needle, to fainting on the doorstep, between 40-60% of the population suffers from some form of dental anxiety.

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Imagine being a toddler Your mom says, “Tomorrow we’re going to the dentist, and I need you to be brave for me!” But yet, yesterday, no one told you to be brave for the supermarket. You remember hearing your mom say she hates the dentist. On your way to the appointment, mom says, “If you behave, I’ll buy you ice cream!”

So... now you know for sure it will be terrible!

Dr. Liran Levin, a professor at the School of Dentistry, says, “As parents, we’re trying to help our children make the experience better, but sometimes we do the opposite.”

Prevention is easiest Levin suggests that the best anti-phobia remedy is to prevent it in our children, taking your child to the dentist as soon as they get their first teeth and treating it like any other outing. He says, “I have toddlers sit in the chair, I count their teeth and look around their mouths and they get a prize. It’s a good first experience.”

He also reminds us that if we take care of our teeth at

home, our visits to the dentist will be easier.

Options?

For those who already have a fear of the dentist, Levin has some good news. There are options for your treatment.

Know your dentist Janice Waddell, who has worked at the School of Dentistry for over ten years, suffers from dentophobia.

Her fear stems from traumatic experiences as a child in India. She says, “I ultimately had to force myself to go to the dentist despite my fear because I was experiencing some pretty major dental issues.”

She says it helped her to know her dental team personally and that she has improved over the last decade. “Now my kids are sometimes getting their teeth checked while I’m in the chair, so I have to work hard to appear calm so I don’t scare them off dentistry too!”

General anesthetic Sometimes if you really need dental treatment, general anesthetic can be effective.

The downside is that it doesn’t treat the phobia, so you’ll need anesthetic each time you go in.

Hypnotism Hypnotism is one of the least-known treatments for anxiety, but it can calm patients enough to bring them to the chair and even replace anesthetic for all procedures.

Dr. David Kelner is one of the few dentists in Alberta licensed to practice medical hypnotism. He says it’s more than a way to deal with dentophobia. “It can act as local anesthetic, numbing whatever area we’re working in, or it’s strong enough to fully replace anesthetics for most procedures.”

Kelner cautions that while it can be as effective as anesthesia, it can also have side-effects or not work for some people.

Psychology Finally, if your fear or the dentist stops you from getting treatment, you may want to consider enlisting help: talking to a counsellor. They can help get to the bottom of your fear.

Going to the dentist doesn’t need to be scary!

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SHARING SMILES

đ&#x;˜€ & ORA

April 3: Melanie Deveault showing us the benefits of smiling outside.

April 15: DDS ‘21 student Patrick Kuny reminding us to stay hydrated and have fun.

Oral Health Month came in the midst of group gathering restrictions, so we brought our smiles to your social media feeds instead.

April is a busy month for oral health practitioners in Canada. We celebrate National Oral Health Month in Canada, National Dental Hygienists Week (NDHW), and Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW). Despite COVID restrictions, the U of A’s School of Dentistry took the opportunity to remind everyone on social media how important a healthy mouth is to a healthy lifestyle.

We hope you enjoyed our content! We look to April 2021, when we will see you all in person!

For now, enjoy some of our #SmileSelfies.

Photos submitted.

April 2: Melanie Chouinard’s granddaughter Natalee reminding us to brush!

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April 28: Susan Helwig and Glenda Freitag after assisting an orthodontic emergency.

AL HEALTH INFORMATION April 1: Dr. Bill Preshing, one of our team of dentists treating emergency dental patients at the clinic.

April 24: Dr. Monica Gibson brushing her youngest’s new teeth.

We ran a #SmileSelfie campaign on social media and were able to fill our feeds with smiles, sharing some positive thoughts at a tough time for many.

tooth-healthy foods and drinks, what to do about children’s brushing, and even tips to care for your pets.

You can see all the posts on Twitter. > Posts

We also shared oral health tips. From reminders to brush to considering stress as a factor affecting oral health, we offered information on

For #NDHW (promoted by the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association), students from our BSc Dental Hygiene program prepared distanced

April 8: DH 2021 students in purple to celebrate #NDHW20 April 29: Masters candidate Siavash Mashhouri taking a break from studying.

Katelyn Ehm

Krista Jobse

Kalynna Watson

Kelli-Ann Sharun

community outreach to schools, charities, and university students. You can read more and see a few presentations here. > Story Finally for #OHANCAW, we shared information on oral cancer, including information for self-exams and tips for cancer patients to relieve dry mouth.

25 Sarina Zhang

Alex Ko

School of Dentistry Oral Health Clinic Kaye Edmonton Clinic 8th Floor, 11400 University Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1Z1 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy 5th Floor, 87 Avenue NW Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9

www.uab.ca/smile

Photo: Christine Pasana

Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research 87 Avenue - 114 Street, 7-020H Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1