sleep dentistry Archives - Cornerstone Dentistry

High Resistance to Novocain

Posted on March 5, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have the unfortunate body type that has a high resistance to Novocain. This makes every dental appointment a bit of a nightmare. For quite a few years I have avoided the dental chair with everything in me. I know I have teeth that need to come out and more than probably can be saved if I can tolerate the work. I really want a pretty smile. Is there any way to deal with this?

Ebony

Dear Ebony,

I wonder who told you that your body type was the cause of your Novocain resistance? Unless you have something that makes you resistant to all medication, I don’t think I would settle for that. There is a connection between dental anxiety and Novocain resistance. It’s a connection that has only in recent years become more well known. We are not sure why, but the higher your anxiety, the more quickly the medication will burn off.

The best solution to this is to go to a dentist who can provide you dental sedation options. This will relax you enough for the numbing medication to work. If you need a lot of work, and it sounds like you do, I would like to recommend that you use oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill. It will relax you enough that you will likely sleep through your appointment.

Your dentist will be able to get more work done at each setting allowing you to get caught up faster. The only real downside is you will need to have someone drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours afterward, just until you are lucid and stable on your feet.

If you truly have teeth that cannot be saved, you will want to replace them as soon as possible. My suggestion would be to replace them with dental implants. These are the closest thing to having a healthy, natural smile again. The crowns can be made to match your teeth perfectly, if you go to a dentist with some cosmetic skill as well as expertise in cosmetic training.

One thing I would suggest is sometime before the implant crowns are made you get your teeth whitened. The color of the crowns is permanent, so if you whiten the teeth afterward, you will have to re-do the crowns in order to get them to match. Doing the teeth whitening ahead of time, will save you money in the long run.

This blog is brought to you by Sugar Land Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.

Dentist Couldn’t Get Me Numb

Posted on October 12, 2020 by writeradmin.

I had to have my first real dental procedure that wasn’t just a dental cleaning. I developed a cavity on one tooth and a tooth infection on another which required a root canal treatment. I heard these were awful so I was quite nervous. It was worse than even I expected. The pain was excruciating even though my dentist tried eleven shots to get me numb. Eleven. The dentist eventually stopped and refunded my money. We’re going to try again in two days and I am super nervous. Have you heard of this happening before?

Macey

Dear Macey,

You can sleep through your dental appointments if you want to.

I’m going to share something with you that not even many dentists know. There is a connection between anxiety and the effectiveness of the numbing medication you receive for your procedure. The higher the anxiety, the less effective the medicine. You mentioned you were nervous going in. That combined with the pain you experienced at first likely jumped your anxiety up through the roof. This kicked up your metabolism and burned off the meds almost as soon as you received them.

Fortunately, there is a solution. You need to see a dentist who offers dental sedation options. There are varying levels of sedation. Nitrous oxide is the mildest and most dentists offer that. It is sometimes called laughing gas because it gives you a floaty feeling.

In your position, given the horrible experience you recently had, I’d like you to see a dentist who offers something stronger. I think you need oral conscious sedation (OCS).

This is administered by a pill, but it is so strong you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours afterward until you are lucid and steady on your feet again. Though you won’t have to, you will be able to sleep through your appointment if you would prefer that. This is why some people call OCS sleep dentistry.

This has changed the lives of patients who have avoided the dentist for years because of their dental anxiety. You’ll find you can get through any procedure, including your dreaded root canal treatment with no problem.

This blog is brought to you by Sugar Land Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.

How Much Dental Work Can be Done in One Appointment

Posted on August 17, 2020 by writeradmin.

I’m going to be bluntly honest and say I have never liked dentists. There has yet to be a single appointment in my life that didn’t end up excruciating. As a result, I have avoided going for quite a few years. I KNOW I’m going to need a lot of work. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible. To that end, how much work can be done in one sitting?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I am sorry you have had such difficult experiences with your dental visits. Many people who’ve experienced dental trauma, often originating during a childhood appointment, develop dental anxiety. This, in turn, can make every appointment after that into feelings of torment. The solution I propose will have a two for one benefit. I’d like you to find a sedation dentist in your area.

A Sedation Dentist Can Provide a Pain-Free Appointment

While there are varying levels of dental sedation, I’m going to recommend you use oral conscious sedation. This is administered with a simple pill, but it is a STRONG pill. You will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment. Many patients who use this type of sedation find they are so relaxed they can even sleep through their appointment. A few pain-free appointments and their lives and view of their dental appointments are changed forever.

You may even find yourself liking a dentist!

A Sedation Dentist Can do More Work at a Time

Because you are so relaxed and likely snoozing, your dentist will be able to get a considerable amount of work done at each appointment. Therefore, depending on exactly how much work you need, you can get done in one appointment. You will need a consultation that goes over your medical history. It will be important you bring a list of every medication you are on, including over the counter meds and vitamins, so your dentist will have the information to give you the perfect sedation medication and avoid any counter-indications.

I think you’ll find yourself on a journey of good oral health and a new view of the dental profession.

This blog is brought to you by Sugarland Dentist Dr. Siny Thomas.