Most parents of young children can appreciate the delicacy of those first few dental appointments. Whether because of nerves or the transfer of anxiety from the parent, a visit to the dentist can be something the entire family dreads.
That is, unless their dentist happens to be Dr. Olivia Cui of Grande Dentistry in Cochrane. Dr. Olivia, as she likes to be called, listens carefully to her patients’ needs and customizes their treatment accordingly.
Her patients love her “Comfort Menu,” for example, which lets them choose a favourite TV program, listen to music, wear a comfort blanket or eye mask, and receive sedation to sleep through their appointment.
A mom herself, Dr. Olivia also loves to set up children for success at the dentist. To that end, she’s devised the “happy visit,” and it’s free of charge.
“If it’s a child’s first visit to the dentist, we bring them in and show them the chair, and even get them to sort of go for a ride on it,” Dr. Olivia explains. “We show them our little tools and just really try to get them to have fun and get used to the environment. I think it’s so important for kids to look forward to coming here. I focus on education and prevention as well as comfort if there are any treatment needs.”
Dr. Olivia and the staff at Grande Dentistry work hard to make clinic visits comfortable for adult patients, too. If anxiety is a concern or a longer procedure involved in the appointment, the staff can provide sedation so they can relax or sleep while the treatment is completed. There’s also a gentle sedation option for children.
“We really pride ourselves on taking the time to really adapt our care to our patients needs, and spending time to discuss what they really want,” says Dr. Olivia. “At the end of the day it’s a team effort, and we want them to make sure they have a great experience.”
Dr. Olivia says Grande Dentistry can provide comprehensive dental care for everyone from teething infants to seniors. In addition to general and emergency dentistry, they offer cosmetic dentistry, fillings, dental implants, crowns and bridges. And Invisalign treatment is available at the clinic, too.
“We do really want to keep it comprehensive,” says Dr. Olivia. “That way we can do everything in house and not have to refer our patients to someone they’re not familiar with.”
More people than one might think are familiar with Dr. Olivia.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, she became something of a TikTok star when her videos about mask-making went viral. Her content received 10 million views, and she was also invited to talk about her newfound stardom on a Toronto-based morning newscast.
“Everyone was looking for those N95 masks, but they couldn’t get their hands on them,” Dr. Olivia recalls. “So I figured out a way to be able to DIY masks to make them more tight-fitting, and then so many people started reaching out to me.”
She says that anyone looking for dental tips mixed with some comedy should check out her TikToks.
Having moved from Montreal, where she did her schooling, to Olds nine years ago, Dr. Olivia and her husband – high school sweethearts – are relatively new to Cochrane. They didn’t want to go back to living in a big city, and they’ve already been enjoying the scenery, activities and everything the community has to offer.
“Cochrane is so beautiful, and it was a no-brainer to come here,” she says. “I’ve just been kind of going around to other businesses and getting to know people in town, and everyone’s just super friendly. It makes me excited.”
Dr. Olivia also speaks French and Mandarin, and her partner at Grande Dentistry knows Korean, so Cochrane residents who might not have English as their first language will find a comfortable connection at her practice. Connection, after all, is what her dentistry is all about.
“All new patients are welcome,” she says. “We also have a new patient promotion where you can get a free electric toothbrush or free whitening treatment when you come in for a check-up and cleaning.”
Grande Dental, located at 1101-116, Grande Blvd in Cochrane, can be reached by calling (587) 742-8959. Their comprehensive dental services can also be browsed on their website.