Fear of going to the dentist is more common than you may think. That’s why Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas and our team want to make your visit as relaxing as possible.
Your anxiety about pain or routine procedures doesn’t have to stop you from visiting our Tyler, TX office; we offer various types of sedation to remove the pain and stress from your dental procedure.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous oxide combined with local anesthetics ensures both pain relief and reduced anxiety for many patients. It’s useful because the dosage can be regulated during treatment, and patients are usually able to drive shortly after the procedure is completed.
Oral or Injected Sedation
With oral sedation, you may be given a pill or liquid to consume several hours before your treatment. Make sure someone will be available to drive you to your appointment, because you will not be able to drive yourself.
An oral liquid is often given to children before any shots or intravenous anesthesia. An intramuscular injection may be given at the office to provide relaxation benefits for 20 to 30 minutes.
Nitrous Oxide with an Oral Sedative
For patients with higher levels of anxiety, an oral or injected sedative can be offered before nitrous oxide begins. This can also be effective for reducing anxiety about the injection of local anesthetics itself. A liquid medication followed by nitrous oxide is beneficial for children to produce a deep sedation level.
General Anesthesia
This type of anesthesia can be offered as an inhaled gas or intravenous liquid. If no oral sedative is given before the general anesthesia is administered, you should wake up quickly after your procedure.
To reduce your anxiety, we can offer a pill or liquid medication before intravenous sedation starts. Intravenous sedation can also be used at moderate-to-deep sedation levels without complete loss of consciousness.
Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas and our team are happy to go over your sedation or pain prevention options when you visit. We’re here to ensure all your questions are answered and your procedure is a relaxing one.
There are numerous options for dental treatments out there, so how do you choose which are right for you? Our experts at Smith Dental Care have handpicked the three must-have procedures that we believe can benefit nearly every patient.
- Periodontal Exam: This should happen at least once a year and is quick and painless. Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas or your hygienist will carefully probe around each tooth and take measurements that indicate the health of the bone and its supporting tissue. This appointment is worthwhile because of the known fact that gum disease can increase the risk of potentially fatal conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Silent killers like diabetes can show signs in the mouth before the person becomes aware of other symptoms. Did you know adults lose more teeth to periodontal disease than to cavities? A simple screening once a year could save your smile and boost your overall health!
- Dental Sealant: For both adults and children, sealants provide a protective barrier from bacteria deep in the pits and grooves of the teeth where cavities often start. Sealants placed in childhood will often wear away in adulthood, so replacing them is useful because it can help prevent tooth decay later on. Dental insurance will likely not cover sealants for adults, but the cost of a sealant for prevention versus the cost of a filling is much lower, and definitely worth it.
- In-office Whitening: Most people develop tooth stains. in-office whitening at our Tyler, TX office is the perfect way to correct discoloration. It’s safe and produces dramatic results in a short amount of time. In two hours, you could take years off your age. Who wouldn’t want that?
Health gurus rave about replacing unhealthy food choices with healthy ones in your diet. If you want to maintain your beautiful smile as well as your waistline, choose foods that are good for your teeth and good for losing weight. This article will discuss some of the worst healthy foods for your teeth and gums, and what you can do to continue to enjoy them.
When watching your weight, snacks heavy in sugar and starch are the first target for elimination. You want to trade those empty calories for something with more nutritional value. A healthier snack is fruit and vegetables. When you are substituting empty calories with whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, consider a few implications for your dental health.
The most acidic fruits are grapes, grapefruit, and strawberries. Want to know the number-one worst healthy food for your tooth enamel? Apples! An apple a day may keep the doctor away but you may soon be calling your dentist.
Another healthy food often incorporated into dieting is salads. But consider what you put in those salads. Salad dressings are filled with vinegar and sweeteners. These make a salad very acidic and can change the pH of your mouth from alkaline, which is good for your teeth and gums, to acidic, which puts your smile at risk for erosion and decay.
Last but not least is diet soda. You might be cutting down on the calories but you are still putting your teeth at risk for decay. Though calories are reduced, the acid is not.
You do not need to eliminate any of these foods from your diet. Simply alter what you do after eating these foods to decrease the amount of acid your teeth are exposed to.
During your next visit to Smith Dental Care in our Tyler, TX office, we can discuss your diet. We may recommend using certain products to fortify your teeth or change the way you routinely care for your teeth.
Please enjoy the wonderful whole foods that are great for a healthy waistline. A healthy waistline and a healthy smile have a positive influence on your general health. A healthier you is a happier you. The happier you are, the more you smile. Keep your smile brilliant and beautiful with the care your teeth deserve at the practice of Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas.
Regular visits to the dentist are important for people of all ages. Seeing Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas as recommended provides preventive care for oral diseases. If a disease is already present, early detection can prevent hefty dental bills and further damage to the teeth and gums. Once you have made the decision to visit Smith Dental Care, you may ask yourself, “What happens during my hygiene appointment?”
Preparation
Arrive at your appointment a few minutes early and bring along any insurance cards or medical information. While it may seem irrelevant, a full medical history can be important, since certain conditions include symptoms that occur inside the mouth.
Initial appointment
In some offices, the first appointment is a screening appointment, during which a dental hygienist will go over your medical and dental history with you, assess the condition of your teeth and gums, then schedule a future appointment to complete the cleaning and any other treatments you may need. In other offices, the screening and cleaning will be done over the same appointment. The dental hygienist may:
- Count your teeth
- Clean your teeth by using a small tool to scrape them in order to remove plaque
- Brush and floss your teeth
- Apply a fluoride treatment using foam that sits on your teeth within a tooth mold, or a gel that can be “painted” on with a small brush
- Inspect your teeth for cavities or signs of decay
- Administer oral X-rays. You will be covered with a special blanket to protect your body and then given a small piece of plastic on which to bite.
Seeing the dentist
After the dental hygienist completes his or her portion of the appointment, the dentist will usually come in and inspect your teeth. After an initial inspection, the dentist may:
- Perform a quick tooth count as well as a more thorough inspection, looking for signs of decay in and around the teeth
- Use a small tool called a “probe” in order to check for signs of gum disease around the base of your teeth
- Visually inspect the skin around your mouth, called the “mucosa”
If you need any further dental work completed, you will usually be required to make an additional appointment. To learn more about hygiene visits, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Smith, Dr. Ogletree, and Dr. Douglas, please give us a call at our convenient Tyler, TX office!
