Welcome to Altitude Dental!

Choosing a family dentist in Coquitlam can be a challenge because many dentists offer similar services. What makes our family dental clinic special or different from other Greater Vancouver dentist offices? It’s our team: our friendly, caring and experienced team of dental professionals is our greatest asset and is what differentiates us from the other dental clinics in the Tri-Cities area. Dr. Vaida and his team of professionals are totally committed to ensuring that your experience at our clinic is positive and that we provide the service that you need and want.

We are always ready to welcome a new person or family. Often our clients refer their family and friends so that they can receive the same excellent care. There is always room for one more at Altitude Dental in Coquitlam. Note: our clients come from the Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody Tri-Cities area and they also come from all over the Greater Vancouver region if they live or work nearby. Our dental office is conveniently located very close to Coquitlam Centre and the Evergreen Skytrain line.

What happens at a dental exam?

Regular dental check-ups are recommended every 6 months. This allows for early detection and correction of oral health problems.

In your dental exam, we will thoroughly examine your teeth and any problem areas you are concerned about. We will likely take some X-rays, and then let you know the course of treatment we think is best for you. We will only recommend treatments you need. We are happy to discuss payment plans and timelines to ensure your dental care fits your schedule and budget.

Digital Radiograph or Dental X-Ray

A digital radiograph, or dental x-ray, allows us to see oral health problems that occur in the jaw bone and around the root of the tooth. The need for dental x-rays depends on your individual needs however we are committed to only conducting x-rays when necessary.

We don’t plan to rest on our laurels. We want our clients to continue to tell us that we are the be the best dentist in Coquitlam. So we work hard every day to make sure we are offering cutting-edge treatment at our friendly clinic. Come and see why our clients love us!

If your previous dentist has taken recent x-rays (within 6-months), you may request that they forward them to our office. The standard of care requires that we have either a Panoramic X-ray (one that shows all the teeth and jaw bone) or x-rays that enable Dr. Vaida to diagnose the right treatment. Depending on whether or not the area being examined is on the supplied x-rays, we may need to take additional digital x-rays.

How safe are dental X-rays?

The advancement in technology and the introduction of digital x-rays have decreased the amount of x-ray exposure in dentistry. Our modern digital x-ray systems allow us to minimize the amount of radiation as well as increase the ability for our patients to see their digital x-rays almost instantaneously. X-rays that are only taken if necessary.

Your dental hygiene appointment is most often spent on scaling and root planing.  Your dental hygienist will manually remove any soft (plaque) or hard (calculus) buildup that has accumulated above and below your gum line. This is a very important part of preventing gum disease.

Polishing

This pain free procedure is done with a polish that is similar to toothpaste, and a rubber cup. Polishing helps to remove stubborn stain and sticky build up, called biofilm, from the enamel.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods however due to the acids in the foods we eat we lose fluoride through demineralization and remineralization. We recommend fluoride as a preventative oral care treatment – this preventative care is endorsed by Health Canada and the Canadian Dental Association. Remineralization with fluoride will allow the enamel layer to repair and make the teeth more resistant to plaque and early decay.

Professional Examination

Regular dental check-ups are recommended every 6 months. This allows for early detection and correction of oral health problems.

Why do I need to have oral health services, such as dental exams and hygiene cleanings?

Why do I feel pain after dental cleaning?

Sometimes for a couple of days after your cleaning you may feel a tenderness or pain after dental cleaning. This is often the result of tenderness of the gums after being ‘deep cleaned’ and is an indicator that your mouth needs attention and your gums need to toughen up.

Make sure to keep flossing and cleaning your teeth regularly and the tenderness will subside.

Children are welcome at Altitude Dental!

Do you have children? Great oral hygiene for children early on leads to healthy teeth for a lifetime. We can guide you to support your kids’ dental hygiene. We provide a full pediatric dental services. Note: A parent or guardian must accompany all patients under 18 at the consultation visit.

When providing fluoride treatments for children under 6 years old, the fluoride is absorbed in the development of permanent teeth, making it difficult for acids to demineralize the teeth. Fluoride speeds remineralization and disrupts acid production in already erupted teeth. We recommend first visits to our dentist and oral hygienist starting at an early age – when the first teeth erupt – because it’s important for children to develop the early habit of good oral health care and regular visits to our dentist office.  This healthy habit will benefit them, and their teeth, life-long. Read more about our dental care for kids here.

Read more about our dental services here. If you haven’t yet, make sure to book your appointment today!