Desi Today Magazine
One of the most traumatic experiences for young children can be their first few visits to the dentist. They may have heard horror stories from friends or television and it makes the entire process unfriendly for the children, their parents and their dentist.
SmileTown is reinventing the way families go to the dentist.
Their offices are dedicated to creating an atmosphere that is not only relaxing for kids but is actually fun for them! With SmileTown Dentistry, you can tell your children that they are not simply visiting a dentist’s “office” rather they are entering one of three fun-packed adventure themed offices: a jungle, beach or underwater (depending on the three locations).
SmileTown’s colourful murals, animated characters, numerous games and kid-friendly technology are designed to make children want to go to the dentist’s office. The purpose of the stimulating environments with gaming stations and televisions is so that children are having fun while receiving treatment.
“It’s a humbling experience to have an opportunity to work with children and get that smile or high-five at the end of the appointment.” says Dr. Karim Kanani.
SmileTown Dentistry is designed to cater to the unique needs of children of all ages, from babies to teenagers. They are also sensitive to children with special needs by making every office wheelchair accessible and having staff trained on a variety of possible techniques they can use to assist special-needs children in getting the most comfortable and relaxing treatment possible.
“Our philosophy is that everyone deserves compassionate care; we want children to enjoy coming to the dentist,” says Dr. Diya Chadha.
Dr. Kanani has a certificate in pediatric dentistry and is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Chadha is a certified specialist in pediatric dentistry, Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada. Both doctors hold a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and embody a passion for working with children to provide the best possible treatment and dental experience for every child.
With a comprehensive range of high-quality children-specific dental services, SmileTown Dentistry offers a variety of care and treatment options including interceptive orthodontics, nitrous oxide, sedation dentistry and general anesthesia. In addition to providing professional dental care, SmileTown is committed to community involvement and education. The doctors hold presentations at local schools and daycare centers teaching the importance of good oral health.
Find out more about why the two went into their profession, how having their children has changed their work lives and what exactly they do to calm their little patients’ fears.
Q: Why did you go into this profession?
We wanted to make beautiful smiles! We both agree that a beautiful smile can bring so much confidence to a person’s personality and we wanted to be able to do that for people. The look on someone’s face after receiving major types of dental work is so rewarding and it makes us want to come into work each day.
Q: When did you two decide you wanted to become a dentist?
During high school we both had braces growing up and it definitely changed our lives. It was at that time that we began to understand the importance of having a good dentist. We were confident that if we worked hard enough, being an excellent dentist would be a goal we could achieve.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
Working with very cute little patients! Children can be so entertaining and fun to work with. We get the sweetest patients and it makes us want to work that much harder to make sure they have a good experience with us. Knowing that we are able to resolve painful situations and provide relief is very rewarding.
Q: What is your “dentist philosophy”?
It’s simple: every child deserves a healthy, happy smile.
We stress that we want to be able to do both (to promote health and happiness). The health part comes from our credentials and experience in the field. We have spent countless years training, learning and upgrading our skills in order to do our job with ease and confidence.
The happy part comes in with our personalities! We love to have fun with our patients and make the experience enjoyable for everyone! We want every patient to leave our office with big happy smiles and we can definitely say we have been achieving that!
Q: How has having kids taught you two about how to be a better dentist?
DR. C : Growing up with a brother with special needs I know first-hand the difficulties families and patients with disabilities endure who require access to dental care. I know how challenging it was to get my brother into appointments and my parents experienced an equal amount of stress. I wanted to help other families; that’s why we decided to open offices that are fun for children of all ages and specially designed to accommodate families with special-needs children. We are here to help, and we are empathetic to their needs.
You can learn so much by being around children. My own children have taught me that we need to instill trust in our patients. I learned that once a child trusts you, providing treatment become so much easier. It’s all about taking the time early on in our appointments and building an honest , trusting relationship with children.
Q: Children typically feel afraid of the dentist, so how do you make sure they feel calm?
We make sure our patients feel comfortable by, firstly, explaining to them that dentists are here to help them. The most effective way to calm their nerves and make them feel like they’re having fun is to include them in the process! We often allow children to participate in their own care by handing us instruments or holding the suction. This way, they know what the equipment does so it’s less frightening and they also feel special for being able to take part in the whole process.
Q: How does SmileTown Dentistry cater to the parents of the patients?
We understand there is nothing more important to a parent of a young child than to get the best health care possible for their child. We take pride in being a practice that makes parents feel extremely comfortable and confident in our care. We provide extensive education and information to parents about how to care for their child’s teeth. We even invite parents to participate in their child’s care and will show them how to better care for their child’s needs even after they leave the office.
Q: How is SmileTown Dentistry different than other dentists offices?
We are exclusively Child centric offices with what we like to say “lotsa patience for our little patients!” Also, we provide additional training to provide all types of treatment for children including: in-office sedation, laughing gas, as well as general anesthesia. We set up our entire practice around being the most well-equipped, highly-trained, relaxing and enjoyable dentist’s office we can possibly be!
