We’re thrilled to share some incredible news: By The Lake Dental has once again been recognized as Ajax’s Favourite Dental Provider, winning every dental category in this year’s Readers' Choice Awards! This year, our team proudly earned top honours in: 🏆 Favourite Dental Experience 🏆 Favourite Dental Service 🏆 Favourite Dentists 🏆 Favourite Dental Hygienists (a brand-new category!) This achievement is especially meaningful because it comes directly from the people who mat

A knocked-out tooth is one of the most alarming dental emergencies a parent can face. In the shock of the moment, most parents are unsure what to do and lose precious time. The good news is that with the right actions taken in the first few minutes, a permanent tooth can often be saved. At By The Lake Dental Kids, our dentists and dental team are experienced in managing dental emergencies for children and families across our dental offices in Ajax and Scarborough. Our kids de

"Changing lives by promoting oral health" is the statement that has guided By The Lake Dental since day one. It reflects our belief that Every Smile Matters! After supporting the Queen's University Dental Brigade 2025 – Honduras, our team, represented by co-founder Dr. Patricia Khamis-Silva and our co-op student Sophia Silva, had the privilege of contributing to another meaningful humanitarian mission: the Queen's University Dental Brigade 2026 – Greece. Alongside 17 universi

Ice cream, cold drinks, barbecues and pool days summer brings refreshing pleasures, but also some hidden challenges for your oral health. At By The Lake Dental, our dentist and dental team help patients enjoy the season while staying aware of how hydration and diet choices affect their teeth and gums. Acidic drinks, such as soft drinks, iced teas and citrus-based beverages, can wear away enamel when consumed frequently. Even flavoured sparkling water can reduce the pH in the

A hidden infection in a single tooth kept one of the world's best midfielders out of training for more than 18 months. When Clarence Seedorf arrived at AC Milan in 2002, he brought with him a chronic groin pain that no examination could explain. Specialists looked everywhere except the one place that held the answer: his mouth. It was a wisdom tooth with a hidden infectious focus. The bacteria had entered his bloodstream and spread to the muscles he used every day. The tooth

Many parents wait until their child has a full set of teeth or a visible dental problem before booking the first visit to the paediatric dentist. At By The Lake Dental Kids, we recommend booking your child’s first dental visit as a toddler or as soon as their first tooth starts to show. Our kids’ dental team knows that early visits are not just about checking for cavities. They are about prevention, habit formation, and giving your child a positive first experience with denta

Holidays often mean long days, late nights, and routines that are anything but regular. Whether you are camping, road-tripping or flying abroad, it is easy for oral hygiene to slip. At By The Lake Dental, our dentists and dental team remind our patients that a few small preparations can make a big difference when it comes to protecting their smile no matter where summer takes them. Packing a dental travel kit is essential. Include a travel-size toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste

Teething and baby teeth are among the first oral health challenges every parent faces, yet many families are unsure what to expect or when to act. According to Health Canada’s guidance on oral health for children, baby teeth begin to appear at around six months of age, and all 20 primary teeth should be through by the time a child is two or three years old. Understanding this timeline, and knowing how to care for those first teeth, makes a real difference to your child’s long

Warm weather and outdoor activities are hallmarks of the summer season, but high temperatures and lifestyle changes can quietly impact your oral health. At By The Lake Dental, we help patients understand how summer conditions influence teeth and gums, and what to do to protect their smile all season long. Dehydration is a major concern in hot weather. When your body lacks water, saliva production decreases leading to dry mouth, a condition that raises the risk of cavities, gu

Dental anxiety in children is more common than many parents realise, and it rarely appears out of nowhere. It has identifiable causes, predictable patterns and, most importantly, effective solutions. Understanding where the fear comes from is the first step to helping your child move past it. At By The Lake Dental Kids, our kids dental team works with anxious children every day across our dental offices in Ajax and Scarborough. Our kids dental team knows that a calm, positi

While lung cancer and heart disease are well-known risks of smoking, its profound impact on oral health, and thus overall wellbeing, often goes unrecognised. In honour of World No Tobacco Day on 31 May, our dentists and dental team highlight the dental issues linked to smoking and vaping, and offer empathetic support to help you understand these challenges and their broader health implications. Stained Teeth and Bad Breath Smoking and vaping cause yellow or brown stains on te

From May 7 to 9, Toronto hosted one of North America’s most respected events in dentistry: ASM 2026. This three-day conference is Canada’s largest dental gathering, and the By The Lake Dental team was proud to attend, continuing our commitment to professional growth and exceptional patient care. At By The Lake Dental, our dentists and dental team believe that staying current with the latest advances in dentistry is not optional. It is a responsibility to every patient who wal

Many children feel uncertain about visiting our dental clinic for the first time, and that is completely normal. The good news is that parents play a much bigger role in shaping that first experience than they might realise. With a little preparation at home, you can help your child walk through the door feeling calm, curious and ready. Why the first visit matters more than you think We recommend booking your child’s first dental visit as a toddler or as soon as their first

Chewing ice, biting pens, opening packaging with your teeth or cracking hard sweets may seem harmless. However, dental guidance and clinical literature consistently confirm that biting hard objects can cause structural damage to teeth and restorations. At our dental office, our dentists and dental team frequently see patients with cracked enamel, fractured cusps and damaged restorations that began with repeated exposure to excessive force. The Problem: Cracked Teeth from Hard

Behind every child who sits calmly in the dental chair, opens wide without a fuss and brushes their teeth without being asked twice, there is almost always a mom who made it happen. This Mother's Day, we want to celebrate that. At By The Lake Dental, our dentists and dental team see it every day across our dental offices in Ajax and Scarborough. The moms who book the appointments, who hold little hands in the lounge room, who say "the dentist is our friend" before every vis

At By The Lake Dental, our dentists and dental team we recognise the vital importance of preparing our dentists to support patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. While medical therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are essential for combating cancer, they often lead to serious complications in the mouth affecting soft and hard tissues alike. The Oral Health Foundation provides essential oral care tips for cancer treatment, highlighting how these comp

It’s a common misconception: if your teeth don’t hurt, there’s no need to see a dentist. But as many patients later discover, the absence of pain doesn’t guarantee good oral health. According to the National Health Service UK (NHS) guidance on dental check-ups, a significant number of people avoid dental appointments simply because they feel no symptoms, only to face more complex and costly issues down the line. Our dentists and dental team often treat patients who say, “I di

Fear of the dentist is more common than many realise. For some, it’s a mild discomfort, but for others, it’s a serious psychological barrier that prevents them from seeking care. According to recent research from the England National Health Service's clinical guide for dental anxiety management, nearly 36% of people experience some form of dental anxiety, with 12% avoiding dental visits altogether due to fear. At By The Lake Dental, we understand that anxiety is not a weaknes

Many parents wait until their child has a full set of teeth or a visible dental problem before booking the first visit to the paediatric dentist. However, current guidance from the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) on your child’s first visit recommends something much earlier: by age one, or within six months of the first tooth erupting. At By The Lake Dental, our dental team know that early visits are not just about checking for cavities. They are about prevention, habit for

Lasting oral health does not come from quick fixes, it comes from understanding, teamwork, and personal responsibility. At By The Lake Dental, we support a patient-centred model of care that helps every individual participate actively in protecting and improving their oral health. One of the approaches gaining recognition across the UK is the model developed by the British Society of Periodontology, which combines risk assessment, education and prevention into each stage of c