sedation dentist

4 Things to Discuss With Your Dentist If You Need Dental Sedation

November 7, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

Sedation dentistry is winning over more and more patients as dentists offer this type of services to help with anxiety and other issues that usually affect dental treatment.

Currently, an estimated 40% of the dentists in the US are offering some form of sedation along with their dental services, and the number is increasing as the public learns more about it.

If you have any issues that prevent you from getting dental treatment or make you postpone it all the time, sedation dentistry might be the answer you are looking for. It is meant to calm and relax patients like children or the elderly, patients with special needs or those who require extensive procedures.

If you think you need it, the best course of action is to schedule a consultation with your dentist and discuss a few things with them. An experienced dentist should be able to answer them and give you advice about the type of sedation that would fit your case.

Will Sedation Help Me in This Situation?

The first question you should ask your dentist is if sedation is the answer for you. They will be able to answer this question with the help of the information you provide: medical history, the possible reason you have difficulties when at the dentist, another specialist’s recommendation, etc. You and the dentist will figure out together if sedation is needed and what kind of sedation should be used in your case.

Where Should I Go to Have This Done?

This may sound like a silly question, but not all dentists are qualified to give you any kind of sedation. For IV sedation or general anesthesia, special certification is needed, and possibly even a separate doctor to monitor you and administer the anesthesia. Also, it’s important that the cabinet has everything needed for the administration, monitoring, and possible emergency management. Ask your doctor if they recommend a hospital or another center for your sedation.

What Safety Measures Do You Have in Case Something Goes Wrong?

Following the previous question, find out more about the emergency management protocol your St. Louis sedation dentist has in place if anything goes wrong. After all, sedation can impact your breathing, heart rate, and other vital functions and it also has the potential of being an allergen, so it’s best to know that there are several plans in place in the event of an emergency.

How Should I Prepare at Home?

It’s very important to know all home preparation steps very well before you are sedated. Sedation solutions like oral or IV medicine generally take at-home preparations for a whole day ahead. Make sure you understand the instructions and that you are able to remember them clearly. If you’re in doubt, just ask for them in written form.

Sedation dentistry is generally a safe method of getting more patients to benefit from oral health treatments. To learn more or to set up an appointment, give us a call today at (314) 862-7844!

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

August 27, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

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

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

August 23, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

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

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

August 14, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

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

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?

August 6, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

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!

Schedule an Appointment

6 Questions to Ask Your Dentist Before Opting for Sedation

July 1, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

Sedation dentistry is becoming more common than ever before, as dentists focus on offering a less traumatic and more relaxing experience to their patients.

Dentist anxiety, while it still is one of the most common phobias people have, is less justified in the context of today’s gentle medical practices.

If you are scheduled to receive a certain dental procedure in the near future, you might consider sedation to be an option. You may have heard about others’ experience with it and you are curious about it. The best way to get informed about sedation dentistry is to discuss it with your St. Louis sedation dentist.

Here are the six questions you should prepare for the discussion prior to your procedure to make sure you understand everything you need about your dental sedation options.

Why Would You Recommend Sedation Dentistry for Me?

First of all, you need to see if using sedation for your dental procedure is really necessary. If you are dealing with mild anxiety, your doctor could try other options before giving you sedatives. Some clinics use different methods of relaxation, such as watching movies, listening to music and even enjoying hot towels or a massage while you receive your treatment.

What Sedation Options Do You Offer?

Let your doctor tell you more about each sedation option that you are eligible for. If possible, you will be able to choose between them and make an informed decision. Talk about their effect, the preparations, the associated risks, and so on.

Which Level of Sedation Is Best For Me?

There are different levels of sedation that can be used in dentistry, from nitrous oxide inhalation (laughing gas,) oral sedation (pills,) IV sedation or even general anesthesia. Depending on the complexity and length of the procedure and your capacity to sit still for a long time, your St. Louis sedation dentist will recommend the best option for you.

How Experienced Are You in Dental Sedation?

Not all dentists can perform all types of sedation. They need to be trained by specific institutions to perform general anesthesia or IV sedation, for example. Sometimes, your doctor will work with an anesthesiologist who can focus exclusively on your sedation and vital signs, while the dentist does the procedure.

What Are the Associated Risks of This Type of Sedation?

After discussing your medical history with your doctor, they should be able to tell you exactly what the associated risks with the type of sedation chosen for you are. Ask about the measures they are planning to take in case something happens.

How Do I Need to Prepare for the Procedure?

Depending on the type of sedation you will receive, there are certain preparations you need to make before your appointment. Some types of sedation require you to plan for a designated driver to come and pick you up after the procedure. Others require you to not eat for a few hours before the procedure. Make sure your doctor tells you exactly what you need to do before your appointment.

Asking these six questions is very helpful when considering sedation for the first time. Keep yourself well informed and make sure you collaborate with the Only Board Certified Dental Anesthesiologists in the State of Missouri, including the St. Louis Metro Area. Call The Dental Anesthesia Center today at (314) 862-7844 to learn more!