Keeping your teeth healthy should be a priority for everyone and from a young age, yearly or bi-yearly visits to the dentist are important. Dental procedures include basic checkups where the teeth are examined and x-rays are taken to give the dentist a blueprint of teeth and root health. Another common procedure is a dental filling for teeth that have some amount of decay. Heavily decayed teeth may not be strong enough to survive with a filling but may need a crown which is a cap that covers the tooth preserving its size and shape. When a single tooth cannot be saved, a bridge may be made to span the gap. Root canals are a required dental procedure when the tooth pulp becomes diseased. The pulp consists of connective tissue and blood vessels which feed newly emerged teeth. Mature teeth no longer need the pulp for nourishment and it can be removed without injuring the tooth. Periodontal disease affects 80% of adults in American. This condition involves inflammation around the teeth caused by bacterial underneath the gums. If not treated, gums will pull away from the teeth and the connective tissue will be broken down causing the teeth to loosen.
Obviously some dental procedures are going to be more painful than others. Fillings, caps, extractions, and root canals all require drilling and any nerve pain signaled to the brain may cause the patient to react. Oral procedures and surgery must be completed while the patient is still and generally a form of sedation is given to the patient. The three most common types are inhalation, oral, and intravenous. Laughing gas or nitrous oxide act as a pain reliever and is inhaled by the patient. Oral sedation includes pills and liquid that help relieve a patient’s anxiety. Topical anesthetics are usually applied with a swab to numb an area prior to a local anesthetic being injected into the gum. These sedation measures do not involve being put to sleep; the patients remain conscious and can answer questions throughout the procedure.
General anesthesia (GA) puts people “to sleep” and is considered a last resort. GA is beneficial for some patients who don’t want to be aware of anything that is happening during the procedure. Some individuals suffer from a tremendous fear of needles or are terrified of extractions. Complex extractions can be extremely invasive and unpleasant and GA allows the patient to not have to suffer through the procedure. Some procedures cannot be performed under GA and this sedation technique is higher risk than others.
Along with the fear of pain associated with dental procedures, many people suffer from extreme dental anxiety and actively avoid getting the care and treatment necessary for healthy teeth. Individuals who actually have inflamed gums or tooth aches still stay away from the dentist. Many dentists are now choosing to receive special training to relax their patients and to use sedation medications that calm people. Sedation Dentistry successfully help get many people into the dentist chair to get the care they need.
