Sedation dentistry, as the name suggests, refers to dental treatment under sedation. It quite resembles anesthetic operations. There is no such big difference between sedation in dentistry and an anesthetic injection. Sedation is performed in 3 degrees – deep sedation, moderate sedation and minimal sedation. It involves numbing the central nervous system so that dentistry can be performed easily. With minimal sedation the patient can respond to whatever is happening around him. In fact, minimal sedation reduces the anxiety in patients quite easily. In moderate sedation the nerves of the patient is even more relaxed and can partially respond to a stimulus. In deep sedation, the patient becomes unconscious and does not respond to any external stimuli. Sedation is normally practiced in the oral form and is administered depending on the anxiety level of the patient.

Dentists normally prescribe and administer a sedative to the patient one night before any kind of procedure or surgery is scheduled. The sedative primarily serves two major purposes. The first is to make sure that the patient is able to sleep properly through the night before the procedure. The second is to ensure that the sedation has worked its way into the patient’s system so as to complete relax him or her prior to the procedure. This particular approach of asking the patient to take a sedative the night before a surgery is known as the no-needle approach. The patient can take a prescription pill or the dentist can administer them sublingually. According to experts in the field, sublingual sedation dentistry is more effective as it reaches the bloodstream quickly.

Sedation dentistryis considered a safe method. Usually the medicines used for sedation dentistry are checked on the therapeutic index to protect the patients. The more the score on the measurement scale, the safer the drug is. Sometimes a patient, particularly under deep sedation does not remember the preceding events. Therefore, this kind of medication is also termed as ‘comfort dentistry’. Patients generally feel free of the usual anxiety and fear of dental procedures after taking these medicines.

Sedation dentistryneeds careful practice by dentists. A dentist must know which sedative works best for patients after considering the height, weight and degree of anxiety in a patient. The sedative drugs include Sonata, Ativan, Valium and at times laughing gas. The effect of the sedation stays awhile, depending on the degree of sedation performed.

The benefits of sedation dentistry include reducing the stress level in the patient. Sometimes dentistry procedures take a long time. During such prolonged operations sedation is a good alternative. Patients can overcome their fear during the procedure. Sedation dentistry has become a viable option to patients who are phobic to dental care routines or operations. It is without side effects and helps the patient to go through the dental procedure without fear and in the proper manner. In extreme cases of anxiety IV sedation is done. The patient can relax while his dentist can continue his work. After the patient regains consciousness, he can see a healthy inner mouth and smile. If you have moved and about to choose a new dentist make sure you check his credentials. He needs to be an expert of sedation dentistry before you agree to the process.

Maintaining good dental health is imperative. Most of us suffer from some dental problem or the other. Most of these can be taken care of with easy precautions and solutions. You just have to be careful about maintaining dental hygiene. Regular dental checkups, brushing your teeth twice a day are some of those habits that can prevent serious problems. You need to know what these are so that you can prevent them from happening. Remember your dental health contributes a lot to your personality. Take a glimpse into the top five dental complaints

Top five dental complaints - #1 – bad breath - Suffering from bad breath is one of the most common dental complaints. A large number of people experience this. As per top medical surveys, about 85% of humans suffer from persistent bad breath which is caused due to some kind of dental ill health. Bad breath is caused by many reasons - bacteria on tongue, oral cancer, dry mouth, gum disease and cavities. You can use mouthwash to refresh your bad breath, but that is not a permanent cure. Some people suffer from chronic bad breath. It is important to consult your dentist to improve your condition.

Top five dental complaints - #2 – Gum disease- Gum disease or periodontal disease is a serious problem which can also cause heart attacks. Gum disease causes tooth loss in adults. It is basically an infection in the gums around the teeth. Gingivitis and Periodontitis are two familiar forms of gum diseases. Flossing your teeth and brushing your teeth twice daily can prevent this disease. However, if it is a persistent occurrence then consult your dentist right away.  

Top five dental complaints - #3 – Tooth decay – Tooth decay or cavities often occur after common cold. Every second person in the US is afflicted with this problem. Cavities are caused when plague combines with sugars or starches on our teeth. Sugar is derived from the food we eat and plague is already present in our teeth. And when they combine together cavities are caused. Tooth decay can be prevented by taking care of your teeth and keeping them clean. You must also maintain healthy eating habits. Less junk food, less giving in to your sweet tooth.

Top five dental complaints - #4 – Toothache and Tooth sensitivity - Toothache can happen due to various reasons. If you have cavities you can suffer from recurring toothaches Call your dentist and fix a meeting as soon as you feel the pain. Tooth sensitivity is also a common tooth ailment. Whenever you eat anything too cold or too hot you will experience a chilling pain in your teeth. This can also be prevented by taking good care of your teeth.

Top five dental complaints - #5 – Tooth erosion and mouth sores- Mouth sores lasting over two weeks can cause serious problems. Common forms of mouth sores include thrush, ulcers, fever blisters, cold sores and canker sores. Tooth erosion is caused when the teeth enamel is lost due to acid attacks. Sensitivity is the first indication which can lead to serious consequences like cracking. Prevention includes maintaining your dental health and regular dental checkups.

Cosmetic Dentistry vs Plastic Surgery- Improving Dental Appearance

Keeping your teeth healthy is important not just to avoid pain but also to look good. Cosmetic dentistry involves improving dental appearance. Along with teeth gums are improved as well. However, cosmetic dentistry does not increase the functionality of the teeth or gums, but solely focus on the appearance. Plastic surgery on the other hand is a medical procedure which involves restoration of functionality and form along with appearance. Plastic surgery includes many different methods like microsurgery, hand surgery and reconstructive surgery. It is also greatly effective to improve overall dental health.

Plastic surgeryis the most favored method for any kind of facial lift. And for a successful facial lift, you need to have a good and strong line of teeth to support the facial muscles. Therefore, cosmetic dentistry is often a required procedure for a successful plastic surgery. Especially, if you are thinking of restoring sagging facial skin and droopy lips, cosmetic dentistry becomes absolutely mandatory. Plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry do not necessarily clash. In fact in many cases they complement each other.

Smile makeover is a procedure that falls under cosmetic dentistry. Any kind of improvement in teeth line happens to be a part of cosmetic dentistry. Bad teeth is the cause behind many a diffident face. Cosmetic dentistry can help recover the lost confidence and the lost smile. Smile makeover is done with the aid of porcelain veneers. These veneers make the teeth appear longer and make them look good.

Holding on to the perfect appearance has made plastic surgery a lucrative business. More and more people opting for plastic surgery have to consult both their plastic surgeons as well as the cosmetic dentists. People going through plastic surgery normally undergo certain procedures which include tooth whitening, dental veneers, bonding and oral maxillofacial surgery. Combining both the procedures brings about the best results.

Tooth whitening is a process in which the paleness of the teeth is removed through treatment. This is done to increase the aesthetic appeal of the teeth and therefore the smile of a person. Dental veneers are often used to cover cracked teeth, teeth with bad shapes. Translucent porcelain sheets are applied on the teeth to refine them. This makes the teeth appear beautiful and flawless. Dental veneers not only work wonders for the teeth, but also for the upper and lower lips as well as the jaw. Bonding is another popular cosmetic dentistry procedure to treat the appearance of teeth. Small chips and cracks can be improved by bonding.

Oral maxillofacial surgery can cure lips, jaw and chin problems pertaining to shape. It basically alters the jaw and chin appearance to make the lips look beautiful. The result of this surgery as well as of the veneers last for a prolonged period of time. These cosmetic dentistry procedures are sometimes accompanied by microdermabrasion, laser therapy, facial fillers, and additional injectable for enhanced results. Plastic surgeons can actually offer great advice to enhance your looks. Hence, if you consult both the plastic surgeon and cosmetic dentist, then your chance of an improved facial structure will increase manifold.

It can be very upsetting to lose teeth, and many patients find dentures uncomfortable and difficult to eat with. While one of the alternatives is to have traditional dental implants, the process can be long-winded, especially if bone grafts are required, and it can take many months to complete the treatment. Opting for the teeth in the day technique can enable you to receive implants and fully fixed replacement teeth all on the same day.

The technique was developed in Europe many years ago, and is successful as it utilizes the stronger bone found in the front of the jaw for implant placement. This usually involves placing four implants, with the rear two being placed at an angle. The angled implants create greater stability, and this technique can even be successful for patients who have suffered from bone loss or periodontal disease. Your replacement teeth will be individually designed for you, and can be modified until you are happy with the result.

Benefits Of Teeth in the Day Include:

·      Eliminating the need to wear a denture. You won't have to suffer with ill-fitting and painful dentures any more.

·      Improved self-confidence. Teeth which are permanently fixed in place are much more stable so you won't have to worry about them moving around.

·      A faster healing time with minimal pain and discomfort.

·      Being able to eat a greater variety of foods and being able to taste them more easily.

Upper dentures cover the roof of your mouth reducing your ability to taste food, whereas fixed teeth don't cover this area at all. People who have worn dentures for a long period of time are often quite surprised at how good food tastes with fixed, non-removable teeth.

·      Greater convenience, as you'll no longer have to take out your dentures before going to sleep at night and won't run the risk of losing them.

If you currently wear dentures and would prefer not to then why not contact us to find out if the teeth in a day technique is suitable for you? We'll need to give you a full assessment to make sure you have sufficient bone quantity and density to support the implants. If we think you're a good candidate then we'll need to do a CT scan to plan the surgery as this allows us to accurately place the implants in the optimum positions. Opting for new teeth in a day could give you a brand-new reason to smile.

Your third molars are more commonly called wisdom teeth, and are the very last teeth to erupt, making their appearance anywhere from your late teens to your mid or late 20s. They are often problematic as many people's jaws are simply too small to comfortably accommodate them, and in their effort to erupt they can become impacted. If your wisdom teeth are impacted then this means they are trying to erupt from underneath other teeth, or they may even be growing sideways or may choose to partially erupt. It's quite common for wisdom teeth to need extracting and common reasons include:

·      Wisdom teeth that are impacted

·      Wisdom teeth which haven't fully erupted, as partially erupted teeth can leave gaps enabling bacteria to enter the tooth causing decay and infection

·      Cases where wisdom teeth are poorly aligned and could damage the adjacent tooth

·      Cysts which sometimes form underneath wisdom teeth can damage the tooth roots or jawbone

Because of their position in the mouth, many people find wisdom teeth very difficult to keep clean and it can be especially difficult to floss thoroughly in a crowded jaw. This frequently leads to tooth decay developing. If this decay isn't picked up quickly it can spread to the adjacent molars exacerbating the problem.

Although it is quite common for people to have their wisdom teeth removed, it's much easier to remove them in younger patients. As we age the bone fuses to the teeth, and it's far more difficult to extract wisdom teeth in older patients; sometimes the wisdom teeth can be close to nerves, complicating the surgery. Depending on the complexity of the surgery, it's either performed by your dentist or an oral surgeon, and you may wish to have a considerable amount of sedation. In general teeth which are impacted tend to be more difficult to extract than teeth which are partially erupted, and it's quite common to experience some swelling and bleeding after the extraction. You'll probably need to take painkillers, and some people find using ice packs helps to relieve the swelling. It's also best to stick to soft food for a few days and to drink plenty of liquids to help aid the healing process.