Children and Youth 0-17

First Dental Visit

Children should visit the dentist by their first birthday. At that first appointment, your dentist or dental hygienist may:

ask about your child’s overall health and growth
check inside your child’s mouth while you hold them
show you how to care for your child’s teeth and gums, including how to “lift the lip” to look at their mouth
talk about thumb sucking, bottle use, sippy cups, and soothers
discuss how food and drinks can affect your child’s teeth

The best way to keep your child’s teeth healthy is to find out their risk of getting cavities early and how to prevent them. The MLHU offers a preventive program for your child’s teeth called PREV-OH (Preventive Oral Health). This program is offered at our location, at no cost, for children who are 0 to 17 years of age.

Fluoride Varnish Program

Dental cavities are one of the most common chronic diseases. They affect more than half (57%) of Canadian children. Cavities can cause pain, infection, problems with chewing or sleeping, poor nutrition, and even tooth loss.

Our Fluoride Varnish Program helps prevent cavities and keep children’s teeth healthy. Fluoride varnish is provided for free at participating childcare centres.

What is fluoride varnish?

Fluoride varnish is a protective coating that makes teeth stronger. It helps prevent cavities and can even repair early tooth decay. A small brush is used to quickly paint the varnish onto your child’s teeth. It dries in minutes.

Is it safe?

Yes. Fluoride varnish is safe, painless, and has no bad taste. Sometimes it leaves an off-white colour on the teeth, but this goes away after brushing or flossing the next day.

School-Based Screening

The Oral Health and Clinical Support Services Team at MLHU provides free dental screenings in all publicly funded elementary schools in London and Middlesex County.

What is a dental screening?

A dental screening is a quick and simple check of your child’s mouth. It is done by a Registered Dental Hygienist with the help of a Certified Dental Assistant.

The hygienist uses a clean dental mirror to gently move the cheek or tongue.
No instruments are used on the teeth. It is a safe “no touch” technique.
A Dental Report Card is sent home with your child to let you know how their teeth look.

Please note: A dental screening does not replace a full dental exam by a dentist.

Why did I receive a Parent Notification Form?

Your child received a Parent Notification Form (PNF) because the dental hygienist found an urgent dental condition in your child’s mouth. The Health Unit is mandated to follow up on all urgent dental conditions and assist parents in seeking professional dental care.

Please respond to the PNF you receive from the Health Unit regarding your child’s dental screening.

Before you complete the Form, we recommend watching the video about Section 1, or the video about Section 2, depending on what situation best applies to your child.

Videos are available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.
For other languages, you can use the YouTube subtitles tool.

What to do with the form:

If your child has dental insurance, is already registered with Healthy Smiles Ontario, or you can pay for treatment:
- Ask your dentist to fill out Section 1 of the form and return it to the Health Unit.
If your child does not have insurance or coverage and the cost of treatment is difficult:
- Complete Sections 2A–2E of the form.
- Your child may qualify for free treatment through the Healthy Smiles Ontario program.

What if I do not wish my child to be screened?

If you do not want your child to have a dental screening at school, please contact your child’s school to ask about opting out.

HSO - Core

HSO-Core is an income-based dental program that provides routine dental services for eligible children.

Children are automatically in the program if they are enrolled in:

Temporary Care Assistance
Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities
Ontario Works
Ontario Disability Support

Eligibility Criteria:

children and youth 17 years of age and under
resident of Ontario
have a household income below a specific threshold

How to Enroll:

Call the Middlesex-London Health Unit to book an appointment at 519-663-5317 (ask to speak with Oral Health)
Online at Healthy Smiles Ontario
Call Service Ontario at 1-844-296-6306 (TTY toll-free at 1-800-387-5559)

HSO - Emergency and Essential Services

HSO - Preventive Services Only (HSO-PSO)

HSO-PSO provides no cost preventive services to children and youth 17 years of age and younger who qualify. The services covered by this program may include: cleaning and polishing teeth, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, and temporary fillings.