About Us

Oral Health is an important part of total health. The Interior Health Dental Team strives to promote oral wellness in our community. Our goal is to work with families, caregivers, groups and professionals to encourage individuals to:

• Identify and seek treatment for dental conditions.
• Make healthy lifestyle choices that will prevent oral problems and improve health.

The Interior Health Dental Program acts as a free dental resource for individuals, families, groups and professionals within our community by:

• Performing oral screening (checks for dental decay, oral cancer, development etc.)
• Providing No cost Fluoride Varnish to individuals and children at risk for dental decay.
• Providing Dental education sessions to various groups and organizations.
• Providing oral health counseling to individuals and families.
• Aid in determining dental coverage eligibility for families and individuals seeking treatment.
• Work with the Ministry of Human resources, local Dentists and the Association of Dental Surgeons of BC to obtain dental treatment for children and individuals in need.
• Co-ordinate Community Dental Day actives.
• Promote infant oral care with Health Nurses, Doctors, Pregnancy Outreach Programs and Dental offices.
• Plan and Participate in community health fairs and wellness projects.
• Provide educational dental resource kits for school and daycare use.

Dental Tips…

Baby Teeth are Important For...

• Jaw Development - chewing stimulates proper jaw growth
• Digestion - Chewing allows food to be broken down making digestion easier
• Speech Development - properly aligned teeth aid in speech
• Spacing - baby teeth guide permanent teeth into proper position

*These are all important reasons to keep all teeth until they "naturally" fall out. Children will have some primary (or "baby") teeth until age 11 or 12.

Cavities in Young Children's Teeth Can Be Prevented

Help keep your child's teeth Healthy:

• Brush your child's teeth 2x per day every day, with a fluoride toothpaste. Young children do not have the coordination to brush their own teeth until they can write (not print) their own name (age 8-10). Parents need to finish the job for them.
• Children aged 1-6 yrs. should have no more than ½ a cup of fruit juice each day. Water is the best thirst quencher and a growing body needs water.
• Avoid letting your child drink for a sippy cup constantly throughout the day (unless the cup contains water). Sippy cups allow the teeth to be frequently exposed to juice which contains sugar (even watered down or 100% natural juice contains sugars which can cause cavities).
• Lift your child's top lip once a month to look at the teeth and check for the early signs of cavities (whitish or brown lines along the gum-line).
• Seek dental advice by age 1, visit the dentist no later than age 2 or 3.

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Find out More

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Important Links

Interior Health Dental Website

Kid Smiles

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