St. Louis Sedation, Sleep & Special Needs Dentistry :: The Dental Anesthesia Center

Sedation Dentistry

How Sedation Can Help You With a Chipped Tooth after an Accident

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Chipped teeth can vary in seriousness, but they always involve some damage to the enamel of your tooth.

st. louis man with tooth ache

Accidents are often traumatic events, even when they don’t result in injuries. The unexpected unfortunate event can affect your confidence and make you anxious and tired. When you also suffer injuries from an accident, you are dealing with a lot more on top of the mental distress. Sometimes injuries are not so serious but can become really uncomfortable. Such a case is when you chip your tooth as a result of a car accident for example.

Here is how to spot it and what to do about it.

Symptoms of a Chipped Tooth

Chipped teeth can vary in seriousness, but they always involve some damage to the enamel of your tooth, which is the most important protection you have against cavities, infections and other oral diseases. If the enamel is cracked or missing a part of it, your tooth is now exposed to the elements.

But chips and cracks can be so small that you don’t notice them from the beginning. If your head was tilted suddenly during the car accident, you might have hit your teeth together with such force that chipping occurred. If nothing is visible, but you have one of the following symptoms, you might have a chipped tooth.

List of symptoms for chipped teeth:

  • Visible cracks or missing part of your enamel
  • Soreness in your tongue, where it catches the chipped tooth
  • Inflammation of the gums surrounding a tooth
  • Uneven surface of the tooth, which you can notice with the tongue
  • Pain in the tooth when biting on something
  • Sensitivity to cold or hot foods and drinks in the tooth

If you have one or more of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to speak with your dentist. They will discover the cause of your discomfort and solve the problem properly. If left unchecked, a chip or crack in the tooth, no matter how small or painless it is, can lead to bigger problems.

Sedation Dentistry for Chipped Teeth

Even if a chipped tooth sounds like a very small problem usually, it can be a very serious issue, even an emergency. Underestimating its effect on your oral health or treating it lightly, will not do you any favors. And if the chipped tooth was a consequence of an accident, it can be a traumatic experience, especially since in most cases the front part of the smile is affected, which can damage the patient’s self-esteem.

For these reasons, you can comfortably ask your St. Louis sedation dentist what your sedation options are when treating your chipped tooth. Whether they will use laughing gas, oral sedation or IV sedation, you will decide together what the best option will be for your situation.

To speak with a St. Louis sedation dentist give us a call today at (314) 862-7844.

How Sedation Can Help With Dental Bone Grafting

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Bone grafting is a complex surgical procedure used to replace missing bone tissue and encourage it to heal.

sedation dental bone grafting

Here’s what you need to know about it how sedation dentistry can help.

When Is Bone Grafting Recommended in Dentistry?

If you need a tooth replacement, the dentist must insert the implant in your jaw bone, fixing the tooth in your bone and ensuring that it is as close as possible to a healthy one and that it maintains its function. More often than not, the jaw bone is already affected by tooth loss. It may start receding and getting more and weaker because of the infections and trauma. In these cases, a bone graft may be necessary to recover the jaw tissue and provide the necessary support for the implant.

Other cases where a dental bone graft is necessary may include patients who suffered injuries at face-level. The surgeon is capable of adding a bone graft and help the area heal better and maintain its functional structure. Some individuals may suffer from congenital diseases that affect their jaw bone structure. A bone graft can be an optimal solution for them too.

The Process of Getting a Dental Bone Graft

If you are a candidate for receiving a bone graft, then you need to know that it can be a lengthy process as it can take quite a lot of time for your body to heal. Grafting is actually helping the body in its healing process, and it may involve harvesting bone tissue from another region of your body. So, don’t expect to be done with the whole process after a few visits to your dentist.

First, you will likely be tested via medial imagery with a CT scan. The doctors need to know how much tissue needs to be added and what size and shape the gap is.

After the initial tests and examinations, the next step is to decide where the harvested tissue will come from. You can have a bone graft from your own bone tissue (jaw, hip, tibia, etc.) or processed bone from a bank.

During the procedure, the healthy bone tissue is placed in the area that needs treatment and held together by special membranes that will dissolve in your system. Your body will do the rest, but you do need to help it by taking antibiotics, avoiding pressure on the area and keeping the pain under control.

If all goes well, you generally just need to wait for the bone to heal. Once it has healed, you can get the implant and/or go on with your life without having to take the mentioned cautions.

What Is the Role of Sedation in Dental Bone Grafting?

A dental bone graft procedure is a complex operation, even if your problem is not very serious. Because of that, and the invasive nature of the operation, sedation is mandatory. Your St. Louis sedation dentist will opt for IV sedation or general anesthesia to numb you and help you go through the operation. Your doctor will choose the least invasive sedation form needed for your operation.

A dental bone graft operation is not the easiest procedure to go through, but it leads to better oral health and it solves many serious issues. The complications that can come from a weakened jaw bone will be worse than the recovery process you go through after a bone graft.

To speak with an experienced sedation dentist at The Dental Anesthesia Center call (314) 862-7844.

How the Right Dental Sedation Team Can Make All the Difference

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Make sure your dental sedation team has not only the qualifications but also the empathy and understanding needed to help you relax.

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Whether you are afraid of the dentist or have to undergo lengthy treatment, sedation isn’t always an easy decision. You have to ensure that your dental sedation team has not only the qualifications and know-how but also the empathy and understanding needed to help you relax. Here’s what to look for in your St. Louis sedation dentist to determine if you are in good hands.

The Initial Appointment

You’ve decided together with your dentist that sedation is needed for you to complete your treatment. Before anything else, you will have to meet with the team of doctors performing the procedures and get briefed on what to expect. This initial appointment is vital in determining if you feel confident in your dentist.

This meeting should be friendly and informal, the purpose being to understand the nature of your fear and find the best possible solution given the circumstances. The doctor will collect data about your medical history (the conditions you have, the medication you are taking, etc.) as well as your social history (who will accompany you during the treatment, who will pick you up after the procedure, and so on.)

Your St. Louis sedation dentist will also present you the different types of sedation and tell you what you should expect from each. They will also give you pre and post-operative instructions.

The next step will be scheduling your sedation appointment.

The Sedation Appointment

Understandably, you may be nervous about the procedure and may be having second thoughts. A professional team will know how to help you relax and feel as comfortable as possible.

The doctor will explain to you what will happen and what to expect. Depending on the type of sedation, the nurse will check the equipment and ensure that the dentist has everything he needs for the procedure. The team will assure you that they are appropriately trained, competent in their roles, and able to assist you should any complications occur.

Once the procedure is over, the team will care for you during your recovery. A nurse will ensure that you are knowledgeable of the post-operative instructions and repeat them if necessary. They will also escort you and make sure that you are being looked after and taken care of by a responsible adult. A professional team will also follow up to ensure that your treatment is completed.

The Right Team Can Truly Make a Difference

The last thing you want when you have a crippling fear of the dentist is a cold environment where the doctors and staff are rude or don’t have the patience to listen to your worries or answer your questions. The right St. Louis sedation dentist can help you turn this experience into something positive!

Call us today to schedule your appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!

Can I Eat Before or After Sedation Dentistry?

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If you are scheduled for sedation dentistry, make sure to go through all the details with your doctor, including whether you can eat before your procedure.

St. Louis woman talking with her dentist

Sedation dentistry helps a lot of people get over their dental anxiety or help them sit still during lengthy procedures when they normally wouldn’t be able to. The use of sedatives in dentistry has a long history, and it helped doctors apply complex treatments, contributing to the progress of this medical field.

There are still many questions about sedation dentistry that appear to go through a patient’s mind, even when visiting the dentist regularly. Some of the most common questions surrounding a dental procedure that uses sedation are the medical protocol that the patient must follow.

Eating Before and After Sedation Dentistry

Just like when getting blood tests, patients are often confused about whether they need to refrain from eating before the procedure, for how long, and what happens after the procedure. With sedation dentistry, it all depends on the type of medication your St. Louis sedation dentist chooses.

The main concern about eating before a sedation procedure is to have food obstructing the airwaves when you are in a state of unconsciousness. With dentistry, the laid-back position of the patient makes this scenario even riskier. Even when the sedation does not render you unconscious, fasting is necessary, but not with all types of sedation.

Let’s go through each category of sedatives and check if eating is allowed or not prior to the procedure. We have listed the types of sedation from the mildest to the strongest. (Please note that these are general guidelines. You should always discuss your procedure with your dentist and follow their advice.)

Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) – laughing gas is the mildest sedative used in dentistry, with the patient generally being capable of driving themselves right after the procedure. It is still recommended that you fast for at least a couple of hours before being sedated because nausea is one of the common side-effects of laughing gas.

Oral sedation – sedatives that you take in the form of pills are stronger and will make you more or less drowsy. The dose can vary a lot, so it is best to check with your St. Louis sedation dentist about the restrictions you have prior to the procedure.

IV sedation – With IV sedation, you are generally not allowed to eat for at least 6 hours before the procedure or drink water for at least 2 hours before. This rule is extremely important for your safety during the sedation.

General anesthesia – the same rules as with IV sedation generally apply to general anesthesia.

What about after the sedation procedure takes place? Because sedation can have quite an impact on your body, it is important to help it recover afterward. Besides laughing gas, all the other types of sedation require you to take special time for recovery. Rest and start eating appropriate foods as soon as you are able to. Also, it is very important to hydrate after being sedated.

If you are scheduled for sedation dentistry, make sure to go through all the details with your doctor. Ask for a written protocol if it seems a bit too complicated to remember, and follow it strictly. 

St. Louis Sedation Dentistry

If you suffer from mild to severe anxiety or phobia about going to the dentist, we are here to help! The Dental Anesthesia Center is a state-of-the-art dental facility for patients who require general anesthesia, deep sedation, or oral sedation for their dental care. Young children unable to cooperate and individuals with mental or physical disabilities can benefit from these services.

Call us today to schedule an appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!

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IV Sedation for Dental Treatment: What to Expect

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At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we value our patient relationships, making it our priority to deliver gentle dental care that you deserve from sedation dentists in St. Louis.

Many dental procedures can be lengthy and cause stress for patients, especially those who are suffering from dental anxiety. Small children, patients who cannot stay still for long because of other conditions or patients with anxiety can all benefit from sedation dentistry. It allows them to go through the procedures they need without any stress or discomfort.

The Different Types of Dental Sedation

There are different types of sedation used in dental medicine, and they vary in intensity, ways of administration and the effects they have. We will list the main types of dental sedation, ordered by the intensity:

  • Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) is administered through a breathing mask and its effects last very shortly, wearing off immediately after the procedure. It allows the patient to drive themselves home.
  • Oral sedation is administered in the form of pills, which need to be taken at a certain time before the procedure. It leaves the patient conscious and able to answer questions and interact with the doctors, but not able to drive themselves afterward.
  • IV sedation is administered intravenously and provides maximum comfort for the patient, who won’t remember much of the procedure.
  • General anesthesia leaves the patient unconscious and unable to move, and it is reserved for more serious cases.

Your St. Louis sedation dentist will have a discussion with you prior to the procedure and decide which type of sedation is fit for you, depending on your medical history and the procedure you have to go through.

What Are the Risks of IV Sedation?

The most common complication from an IV sedation is a rash at the IV site. Other complications may include allergic reactions, difficulty breathing or other respiratory complications.

While you are on IV sedation, the doctors will closely monitor your vital signs like oxygen saturation, pulse, blood pressure, and so on. Most complications can happen when you are in the dentist chair. Extreme rare cases involve symptoms that appear later when you are at home.

If any strange symptom appears after you were under IV sedation, call your doctor right away or get to an emergency unit. But don’t be worried about your scheduled IV sedation, as very few cases actually end up with such complications.

How to Prepare for IV Sedation and What to Expect?

Making sure you follow the doctor’s instructions closely before and after the procedure will keep the risks under control. You need to follow a few simple rules that will make the procedure and the IV sedation comfortable and minimally invasive:

  • Don’t drink or eat anything for 6-8 hours before your appointment
  • Don’t take any medicine that was not pre-approved by your St. Louis sedation dentist, as it might interfere with the medication
  • Get someone to drive you home after the procedure and monitor you for a few hours after the sedation
  • Wear comfortable clothing and remove any accessories like jewelry, belts, etc.

St. Louis Dental Sedation

At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we value our patient relationships, making it our priority to deliver gentle dental care that you deserve from sedation dentists in St. Louis. We work hard to make you feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere.

When you come in for your appointment Dr. Hoffmann, Dr.Thoms, or Dr. Mayer will decide which level is best for you. We look forward to meeting you. Call us at (314) 862-7844 and one of our friendly team members will be happy to speak with you.

Is Dental Sedation an Option for Teeth Cleaning?

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Even the most non-invasive procedure can be difficult for patients with special needs, causing them to miss their regular appointments or refuse routine procedures like dental cleaning.

Sedation dentistry is part of an approach to oral health, which is much more focused on the patient’s education and comfort than ever before. The goal of a good dentist is to make you feel safe and comfortable in the dentist chair and to be ready to come back anytime for your regular check-ups or any treatment you may need.

Sedation can range from the mildest type to general anesthesia, depending on how serious the procedure is, and the medical history of the patient. However, even the most non-invasive procedure can be difficult for patients with dental anxiety or special needs, causing them to miss their regular appointments or refuse routine procedures like dental cleaning.

Typically, a dental cleaning does not involve the use of sedation because many patients are able to sit through a cleaning with little or no pain and/or anxiety. However, in certain cases, yes, sedation can be used for cleaning a patients teeth.

When Sedation is Needed for a Teeth Cleaning

Special needs patients are those who due to their mental, physical, medical, cognitive and developmental conditions require special consideration when receiving dental treatment. Some of the conditions that require special needs dentistry, include:

Special needs dentistry addresses the specific issues of each patient and provides the special needs dental care he or she requires.

It takes compassion and understanding to care for patients with special needs. While most dentists are able to accommodate certain special needs patients, The Dental Anesthesia Center focuses on meeting the needs and limitations of these patients. We understand that some patients need sedation for even a routine teeth cleaning. If your child or loved one requires special needs dentistry, we will be glad to schedule your next appointment.

St. Louis Sedation, Sleep & Special Needs Dentistry

Your initial oral examination includes a visual examination, charting, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We will also take x-rays, which includes the panoramic x-ray for proper diagnosis of the anterior (front) and posterior (back) teeth as well as the bite-wing x-ray series for proper diagnosis of proximal decay of posterior teeth.

Call us today to schedule your appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!

Schedule an appointment