Reasons to Visit a Sedation Dentist

Sedation dentistry is becoming increasingly popular with patients who suffer from dental anxiety. Choosing a trained sedation dentist for your oral care has many advantages for people who suffer from fear of the dentist. When facing dental treatments and procedures, there are several good reasons to select a dentist who offers dental sedation as part of their practice:

  • With sedation, your dental visit will seem much shorter. Often, even though you are awake, you will not even remember any procedures performed while under sedation.
  • You will have less anxiety about complex dental surgeries if you know sedation will be available to help with relaxation.
  • Extensive dental work can be completed quicker because your dentist can work longer when you are under sedation. Often procedures that normally take several visits can be completed in one visit with sedation.
  • If you avoid necessary dental checkups and cleanings because you are scared of the dentist, sedation will alleviate these fears and allow you to schedule your oral care appointments with ease.
  • If you suffer from a gag reflex when undergoing dental procedures, sedation will relax you and calm your gagging.
  • For many procedures, such as tooth extraction, sedation will help alleviate pain.

Dental sedation is offered in mild, moderate and deep forms and can be administered by pill or gas. The level of sedation and method varies from patient to patient and procedure to procedure. To learn more about how sedation can help you relax and not dread necessary dental care, contact a qualified sedation dentist in Toronto for a consultation.

Smile Makeover: A Magical Transformation

Lots of people believe that they are stuck with the set of teeth they have no matter what. They aren’t aware that many treatments and procedures are available that can create a magical transformation in their smile. Not only can a smile makeover improve a person’s appearance, it can also boost self-esteem and give a whole new outlook on life.

What kinds of things do smile makeovers consider?
Tooth color – teeth become stained and yellowed through exposure to damaging materials or habits, as well as the aging process itself. A bright smile can easily be restored with professional teeth whitening or dental veneers.

  • Tooth shape – the length and shape of teeth greatly affect a smile’s appearance. Tooth shape can make a person look older than they really are, or more feminine or masculine than they would like. Teeth that have worn down over the years can be altered for a more appealing look.
  • Tooth proportions – teeth can be proportioned better with neighboring teeth to create a more natural smile line.

These are just a few things that dentists look at when transforming a smile. Additionally, missing teeth may be replaced with dental implants or various flaws can be hidden under dental veneers. Composite resin fillings or teeth whitening can brighten up a smile. Bonding, gum contouring, and crowns are other popular treatments available in dentistry to enhance smiles.

If you are dissatisfied with your appearance and would like to change your smile, schedule a consultation with a qualified and experienced dentist. You can convey what you dislike about your look and what your smile goals are, and the dentist will suggest ways for improvement. Smile makeovers are a great way to restore confidence and allow you to get on with your life with a beautiful new smile.

Evaluating Dental Implants

With the population aging, a large percentage of adults are entering their golden years. This means that there is an increasing number of people who experience tooth loss. In fact, studies show that roughly 25 percent of Americans over age 60 have lost some or all of their teeth. Sometimes it is linked to poor oral hygiene and advanced tooth decay or gum disease, and other times it simply has to do with age. No matter the cause, missing teeth can often be restored with dental implants.

One of the most recent and advanced options for tooth replacement, dental implants provide a comfortable and secure solution. The procedure requires surgically placing a titanium rod into the jaw so that it can attach to the jaw bone as it heals. Once it has sufficiently healed, an artificial tooth is placed on top to complete the restoration.

Dental implants are popular due to a number advantages that they have over alternatives. Some of the reasons patients like implants include:

  • Durability – with good oral hygiene, dental implants can last a lifetime.
  • Side effects – there are very few side effects after the initial irritation or discomfort subsides soon after the oral surgery.
  • Maintenance – implants are brushed, flossed and rinsed the same way as real teeth.
  • Strength – made of titanium, which is one of the strongest metals around, implants are tough and resilient.
  • Comfort – gum inflammation or irritation are rare with implants.
  • Security – since implants are screwed right into the jaw, they are secure and can’t slip.
  • Speech – the security of dental implants also means that they don’t negatively affect speech.
  • Diet – implants function just like real teeth so that there are no special diet requirements.
  • Confidence – the natural look and feel of dental implants gives patients confidence in the quality of the restoration.
  • Success – the success rate of implants is extremely high.

Choosing a Dentist for Your Whole Family

Dental care is something that every member of the family should have high on the priority list. Most of the time kids aren’t thinking about their teeth, so it’s up to parents to choose a good family dentist and make sure everyone in the household gets the treatment needed for a beautiful smile. Finding the right dentist for your family is important, so here are some tips on how to make a selection.

Staff
The dentist you are looking for should be friendly and make patients feel at ease. Being supportive of your needs and addressing any concerns is key to making patients feel confident in the dentist’s work. Hygienists should be kind and encouraging, making patients comfortable while in the dental chair. Front office staff should also be welcoming and helpful so that your entire experience from start to finish is good.

Scheduling
Busy families have to juggle school, work, sports, and appointments. Selecting a dentist who has flexible hours for appointments is important to families on-the-go. Weekend or evening hours are becoming more common with family dentists. This promotes scheduling all family members in a block of time with concurrent or back-to-back appointments, making a single trip to the family dentist possible.

Office
A benefit that most family dentists provide is an entertaining and comfortable environment. The waiting room should be full of engaging activities to distract children while they wait, which sometimes can be a scary situation for kids. Many dentists also provide entertainment during treatment, such as movies playing on video screens or headphones for music. Bonuses such as these give dental offices the edge over others, especially when children are involved.

Outreach
Good family dentists realize that you are busy. Look for a dental office that gives reminder calls before appointments, mails a friendly postcard with your appointment time, or sends emails to jog your memory. Outreach like this shows that the dentist cares about your family and helps you stay on top of your schedule to get the dental care for your family members without missing a beat.

 

Family dentist in Toronto Ontario

Who Should Perform Your Smile Makeover?

If you are unhappy with the appearance of your smile, you may be considering a smile makeover. A smile makeover is a treatment plan that combines various dental treatments to improve the quality and appearance of your smile. Because the American Dental Association does not recognize dentistry as one of its eight specialties, any dentist can legally call themselves a “dentist.” To ensure the safety and success of your treatment, it is critical that you identify a dental professional with the proper training, relevant experience, and a proven track record. When considering a dentist to perform your smile makeover, think about the following:

  • Inquire about their dentistry education. What postgraduate courses and training have they completed in the specific cosmetic procedures you are seeking?
  • Ask if they hold an accreditation with The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. What other organizations do they belong to that focus on dentistry treatment and education?
  • Can they provide before and after photographs of previous patients they have treated for smile makeovers? This is a critical step for you to ensure you will be comfortable with the results they can achieve.
  • Ask for recommendations and reviews from previous smile makeover patients. You may also want to conduct an internet search for feedback from prior or current patients.
  • Inquire about how long the dentist has been in practice, and also about how often they perform the specific cosmetic procedures you are seeking for your smile makeover.
  • Find out if their office utilizes the most current dental technologies available.
  • Visit their office to assess the general attitude of their office and dental staff. Since your treatment may require multiple visits, you should feel welcome and comfortable with both the dentist and their staff.

Taking the time to find an experienced, qualified, and welcoming dentist can make the difference between an unhappy or happy smile. In cooperation with a carefully selected dentist, a smile makeover can be a painless process resulting in a lifetime of beautiful smiles.

Handling Dental Fears with Sedation

Fear of the dentist is a very common type of phobia that people may experience. Neglecting dental care can affect the health, appearance, and function of a person’s teeth and gums. It can also harm overall health by allowing germs into the body through problems like infection. Sedation dentistry offers a safe and effective way for patients with dental fears to get the care they need.

Most dental procedures don’t actually require sedation, or at least not more than light amounts. Mild anesthetics like a shot of Novocain are usually used for simple procedures such as getting a cavity filled. However, patients with dental fears can benefit from stronger sedation levels even for minor treatments. Helping these types of patients relax enough to get necessary care may be the only way to accomplish the procedures.

Some types of medications offered during dental sedation include anti-anxiety drugs, tranquilizers, depressants or nitrous oxide. There are a variety of methods for administering the drugs as well. Swallowing oral pills, inhaling nitrous oxide gas, or injecting drugs directly into the vein are all common options. Most of these types of sedation have few to no side effects, and risks are minimal when sedation is performed by a trained and qualified dentist.

Dental sedation is helpful to healthcare professionals as well as patients. Dentists are able to perform longer or more complex procedures when patients are sedated. Multiple procedures are also made possible in a single visit when dental sedation is used. Dentists commonly find it simpler to work on relaxed, cooperative patients instead of nervous and fidgety ones.

Most patients aren’t aware of treatments that occur while under sedation, so they are more likely to return to the dentist in the future. Sedation also eliminates pain so that patients are comfortable throughout treatment. These benefits make sedation appealing to patients with dental fears, allowing them to achieve better oral health without the accompanying anxiety.