Toothpicks is a mobile oral health care service that provides dental and dental hygiene treatments to long-term care and retirement homes in Simcoe County and York Region. If you or someone you care for is living in a long-term care or retirement home and a visit to the dental office is inconvenient or not possible, Toothpicks comes to you!

Toothpicks was founded in 2009 with the intention of breaking down barriers to dental care. Built on the premise that everyone should have access to dental care — regardless of age, circumstance or mobility concerns — Toothpicks is proud that they have been able to provide dental care to thousands of seniors.

The Toothpicks team is a dedicated group of professionals that have been fortunate enough to receive recognition from the community. The Toothpicks team has been nominated for multiple awards, and has won the 2010 City Of Barrie Chamber of Commerce, Excellence in Business Award!

This examination must be completed for all new patients to provide our team with current oral health conditions. This allows us to formulate an individualized treatment plan to best provide your oral health care. Without the initial examination you will be uninformed of any oral health issues which, if left untreated, can lead to pain, infection, tooth loss, or other general health issues. During the exam we will carefully assess all teeth and surrounding tissues as well as a thorough head and neck exam. Gingival bleeding or tooth sensitivity may occur during portions of this exam and typically resides quickly afterwards.

Dental cleanings are based on the amount of time it takes to complete an individual's dental cleaning. During this time, a dental hygienist will do an intra-oral exam, scale teeth (remove tartar), and may polish to remove stain and/or plaque. A topical fluoride treatment may also be applied when indicated. There may be gingival bleeding and tooth sensitivity during the cleaning that typically resides quickly afterwards. Regular dental cleanings can help to not only improve a person's oral health but also their general health as there are many links to oral health and overall health. Forgoing dental cleanings may result in the on-set and progression of gum disease, tooth loss, tooth decay, staining, and progression of gingival infection.

Dental treatments are performed on an individualized patient need. A filling, non-surgical extraction or denture service may be recommended. A local anesthetic may be required which will numb the area to increase comfort. Risks associates with administering anesthetic may include; prolonged numbness, bleeding and/or a hematoma, nerve injury that typically heals over time. We use composite resin fillings (white) and there may be sensitivity after placement that typically resolves within a week. Not filling a tooth with diagnosed decay can result in increased sensitivity, pain, infections and may result in tooth fracture or loss. Extractions are only done on-site if deemed safe and are non-surgical. Bleeding may
occur afterwards and the area should be kept clean to prevent infection and monitored. There may be swelling, bleeding, bruising, numbness or accidental damage to other teeth or fillings.

Dentures are cleaned to remove stains, debris and deposit build up. Regular cleanings help reduce the risk of oral infections and mouth odours and allow your dentures to be more comfortable and cleaner in
general. Failure to clean your dentures can allow odours, stains and deposits to accumulate resulting in a poor fit. Labeling your dentures allows them to be easily identified if misplaced. Dentures that are in poor or brittle condition may break during cleaning or labeling.