Oral Conscious Sedation
Does the idea of having your teeth cleaned cause your heart to pound and your body to tense? Would you rather endure a toothache than make an appointment to have it fixed? If yes, you are not alone.
Nine to fifteen percent of Americans experience dental phobia (anxiety or fear) that prevents them from going to the dentist and seeking treatment. If you experience fear or anxiety, have sensitive teeth, a low pain tolerance can't sit still in the chair, have a bad gag reflex, or need a lot of dental works done, then sedation dentistry might be the solution.
You will should be confident in knowing Devin Lindstrom DMD has extensive training in Sedation Dentistry. He is one of few dentists in Enumclaw that perform sedation, which allows for continual adjustment of sedation level as needed for the patient and procedure.
What is sedation dentistry? Sedation dentistry is the use of medications to help patients relax during dental procedures. It is sometimes also referred to as "sleep dentistry", although patients are usually awake.
Sedation Dentistry is proven to be safe and effective. It allows you to consolidate several appointments into one if you are in need of extensive work, or it allows you to relax during standard procedures.
There are two levels of sedation at Enumclaw Dental Center
Minimal sedation where you are awake but relaxed.
Moderate sedation where you won't remember much of the procedure and may slur your words (formerly referred to as conscious sedation)
Dentist offices may use these different sedation methods for people who experience dental phobias.
Inhaled Minimum Sedation
The patient breaths nitrous oxide, "laughing gas" combined with oxygen through a mask placed over the nose. This combination of gases relaxes you.
Your dentist controls the amount received and the effects wear off quickly when the procedure is complete.
This is the only form of sedation where you may be able to drive yourself safely home.
Oral Sedation
For minimal oral sedation, you are given a pill (usually halcion which is from the same family as valium), an hour before the procedure. You will need someone to drive you to and from the appointment. This is the most common form of anesthesia associated with sedation dentistry.
Depending on the dose, it can range from minimal sedation or moderate sedation for a longer procedure. Some people become groggy enough to fall asleep but can easily awakened with a gentle touch.
What should your oral hygiene routine include?
There are always questions about how to set up an oral hygiene routine when we have patients come in. Some want to know about how often to brush or floss, while others want to know about things like mouthwash. Here is a simple breakdown of what you need to make sure you are taking the best care of your oral health as possible.
Daily Oral Hygiene Routine
Each day, you need to make sure you brush. This should be done once in the morning and one more time at night. You should make sure you brush for a full two minutes each time, timing it out if necessary.
One of the times that you brush, you also need to floss. You want to drag the floss along the insides of your teeth, not saw it back and forth, to get the most debris out from between your teeth. You should then rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash to ensure the areas between your teeth get thoroughly clean.
Routine Outside of the Daily Grind
You also need to make sure you come in every six months for a cleaning. This is very important when it comes to caring for your teeth. We clean differently and more thoroughly than your toothbrush can. If we find any issues, you want to also have them treated as early as possible. Otherwise, it can lead to bigger problems that can ruin your oral health.
If you want more ideas on how to care for your mouth, call us. We are here, ready and waiting to help with anything you may need. Taking care of your oral health is something that helps take care of the rest of your body, too, so make sure you never let your oral health slide!