How One Family Turned Dental Anxiety into a Mission What started as an Ottawa family’s anxiety over their child’s dental surgery grew into a family business that reached the reality television show Dragon’s Den. When Stacey Laviolette took her three-yearold daughter Piper to the dentist, she had no reason to expect anything out of the ordinary. “I loved the dentist growing up,” she says. “I would literally fall asleep in the chair. I walked in excited for her.” That confidence vanished in seconds. Piper was diagnosed with multiple cavities, ten in total, and would need treatment under general anesthesia. “I came home crying,” Laviolette says. “I just felt this overwhelming guilt. Like, I’m her mom—how did I let this happen?” “At first I thought, okay, cavities, we’ll just get them fixed,” says her husband, Keith Lanctot. “But when Stacey told me Piper would need surgery, and I saw Piper crying, too—I didn’t know what to do.” Their dental surgeon, Dr. Nabil Achache of Ottawa, reassured them that they hadn’t failed as parents. Some children may have factors that increase their risk of cavities, such as saliva composition or tooth anatomy. “When parents hear that their child needs dental surgery, many feel scared and assume it will become a recurring problem. But that’s usually not the case,” says Dr. Achache. “When treatment is done properly and families follow the recommended changes, it’s often a one-time intervention as well as a turning point,” he says. “Habits improve, risk factors are addressed and many children do not need major dental treatment again. Our goal isn’t to be aggressive; it’s to intervene once, decisively, so the child doesn’t have to go through this on multiple visits.” When parents hear that their child needs dental surgery, many feel scared and assume it will become a recurring problem. But that’s usually not the case. Stacey Laviolette and Keith Lanctot on set of Dragon’s Den. 16 | 2026 | Issue 2
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