Dentistry

The department was already up and running back in the 1950s—an era when there were only three or four treatment chairs, compared to the twenty we have today. The past 60 years or so have seen the Department of Dentistry become an invaluable partner to The MCH’s numerous departments and services, in particular the trauma unit, the craniofacial deformities team, the ER department, and certain tertiary care services, such as the transplant team. Today’s dental department collaborates closely with the Shriners Hospital and other rehabilitation centres, including the Mackay Centre, and it continues to evolve alongside pediatric dentistry, through the timely review of treatment criteria, and by adapting and regulating protocols in line with the direction provided by the central authority (The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry). Our renowned reputation allows our young residents to enjoy the advantages of ready acceptance into specialty programs, after which they come back to us equipped with an extensive knowledge base, and practical experience in applying the most current clinical protocols.

Our team comprises the following professionals:

• Eleven general practitioners with between 8 and 34 years of experience: they are responsible for the daily care of children, particularly those with special needs – behaviour modification, sedation, nitrous oxide, etc.;
• Three endodontists with between 3 and 25 years of experience: more specifically, they perform root canals and vital pulp therapies on immature or recently traumatized teeth;
• Three oral and maxillofacial surgeons: they are responsible for complex surgeries, cases of pathological lesions, bone grafting for facial and cleft lip/palate deformities, orthognathic surgeries, etc.;
• Six orthodontists with between 13 and 48 years of experience: they are mainly responsible for correcting and straightening permanent teeth in at-risk children and in patients with craniofacial anomalies, and for preparing the teeth for bone grafting;
• One periodontist with a decade of experience: he deals with all conditions that affect the supportingandsurrounding tissuesof the teeth;
• One prosthodontist with over 30 years of experience: he is responsible for providing care to patients with congenitally missing teeth, severe dental abnormalities, such as amelogenesis imperfecta, among others;
• Three pediatric dentists with between 1 and 35 years of experience: they are specialized in the treatment of difficult and complex cases that require highly specific clinical skills and knowledge;
• A dental hygienist who has been with us for 28 years: she handles the call backs, performs cleanings, provides preventive dental care, etc.

Our team also comprises:

• Thirteen dental assistants with between 5 and 30 years of experience;
•  Five administrative assistants with between 5 and 23 years of experience: they are responsible for a variety of administrative tasks ranging from very simple, such as scheduling appointments, to more complex, such as collecting fees;
• A department head who has been in the position for 20 years, but has been working with us for 28 years.

The current facilities at the Gilman Pavilion are equipped with the following machines and equipment:

• 12 fully equipped dental chairs with digital x-ray machines, suitable for surgeries;
• 9 additional chairs available for continuing education purposes, orthodontic cases, use by the craniofacial team, as well as the pediatric dentistry residents;
• A panorex and a cephalometric x-ray machine;
• A laboratory equipped with a variety of instruments needed for different types of treatment.

The Department of Dentistry occupies two floors. In addition to the treatment rooms, there are two waiting rooms, two conference rooms, a small laboratory, five offices for professional staff, a meeting hall, washrooms, and locker rooms.

The hospital itself has:

• One treatment chair for emergencies, including trauma cases (located in the ER);
• An operating room (on the 10th floor) that is fully outfitted to treat dental patients requiring general anesthesia.
• Patient care at the future Glen site and at the Gilman Pavilion

Patients requiring tertiary care will be seen at the new hospital, in the procedure room adjacent to the general anesthesia rooms. One resident (or postdoctoral fellow), one attending physician, and one dental assistant will be on staff full-time. We will have access to nitrous oxide and other sedation techniques, as needed. A resident will be on call 24/7, 365 days a year, to respond to emergencies.

In Block A, where the Ambulatory Services are housed, there will be one room equipped with two treatment chairs to be used by the craniofacial team; when not in use, the chairs will be available for outpatient dental procedures that don't require sedation. 

General clinic: patients are referred to us by other private practitioners who are unable or unwilling to provide treatment (i.e. due to the patient’s young age, problematic behaviour, mild disability, etc.). Some families whose children have been treated at our clinic prefer to entrust their other children (i.e. siblings) into our care as well.

Specialized clinics: these clinics have a two-fold advantage in that they cater not only to dental specialties in general, but also to pediatricdental specialties.

• Handicapping malocclusion clinic: certain malocclusions can have a negative impact on a patient’s chewing capability and quality of life.
• Clinic adjoined to the Shriners Hospital: more than a hundred children from the Shriners Hospital are managed at the clinic for dental and maxillofacial conditions caused by bone defects.
• Early childhood caries clinic: hundreds of children aged 8 months through 71 months suffer from this particularly virulent form of dental caries, and they are treated and monitored at our clinic.
• Mild sedation clinic: unique in Quebec, our clinic offers the possibility (when indicated) of treating children without using general anesthesia.
• Clinic for mentally disabled and autistic children: this clinic keeps expanding, because the families of these children have a harder time finding clinics that are willing to treat children with such needs.

Many of our patients come to us through the specialized clinics described above. However, the ER represents a significant portion of the department’s activities. We treat patients requiring emergency care for a wide range of conditions, including dental abscesses, tooth pain commonly due to cavities and/or dental trauma (athletic injuries, falls, impact injuries, etc.).