dental sedation Archives - Susan M. Dennis, D.D.S

Dentist Gets Annoyed that His Procedures Hurt

Posted on December 31, 2023 by writeradmin.

I need some advice because I do not know how to handle a situation I am in. Every time I have to have any work done at the dentist it is a living nightmare. I never go completely numb and sometimes I end up just gripping the seat and practically screaming my way through it. My dentist is starting to get annoyed with me. Is it my fault that dentistry hurts? Is there any way if I added some prescription pain killers to the mix it would help with what I’m dealing with? I have some pretty strong pain killers because of some nerve pain I have. I hope it will help but don’t know if it will interfere with whatever it is the dentist tries to use to numb me. Do you have any recommendations?

Patricia

Dear Patricia,

Woman resting peacefully in a dental chair after using dental sedation.

I am going to tell you right off the bat that this is not the best dentist for you. No dentist should be annoyed when their patient is in pain. While I do not recommend using your prescription pain killer for your appointment, I do have a solution for you.

Many dentists still do not realize that there is a connection between the inability to get numb and dental anxiety. Given that your appointments have all been painful and traumatic, I would not be a bit surprised if you were dealing with some pretty severe dental anxiety. This has the unfortunate affect of burning off your numbing medication before it can adequately numb the patient.

The solution to this issue is to help you relax so that the medication can work. I think you need to see a sedation dentist. Not only will they be more compassionate toward you, but they will also provide you with a safe medication that will not interfere with anything you will need for your procedure, plus it has the additional benefit of completely relaxing you. In fact, the medicine is so effective at relaxing patients that many sleep through their entire procedure.

You deserve to have anxiety free/ pain free dental appointments.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

5 Year Old With Lots of Dental Problems

Posted on December 28, 2023 by writeradmin.

I have a five year old with lots of dental problems. She needs crowns on two molars and the other two need fillings for decay along with a few other teeth. I think this problem stems from her being so scared and uncooperative at the dental offices. We’ve tried three different dentists hoping for a different outcome each time, but to no avail. She just loses her mind and they can’t get any work done on her. Do you have any recommendations for a parent in my situation?

Melanie

Dear Melanie,

I can tell that you care a lot about your daughter as well as her oral health. I think I can help you with this. Even with her being uncooperative at the dentist, this is a lot of decay for someone so young. I’ll go over how to prevent that in a moment. First, let’s deal with your immediate problem— getting her the dental care she desperately needs.

I would go to a pediatric dentist (or general dentist who works with children) that also offers dental sedation options. They can give your daughter a medication which will complete relax her. In fact, she will be very likely to sleep through her dental procedure all together. This will give her the treatment she needs in a way that eliminates her anxiety. Depending on the type of sedation used, she may not even remember the appointment. As she builds up more appointments where things go well, she’ll become more cooperative.

As for the amount of decay she has, it makes me wonder how much she is snacking and drinking throughout the day. One of our biggest weapons in the fight against decays is our saliva. This is because it contains vital minerals that fight against the bacteria that leads to decay. If your daughter is snacking a lot or drinking a lot of sugary drinks during the day, then her saliva will not have an opportunity to do its job.

Limit her to one snack a day and try to give her much more water than juice or soda, both of which contain lots of sugar and citric acid that will damage her teeth.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

How Long Can You Safely Put Off a Root Canal Treatment?

Posted on October 24, 2023 by writeradmin.

If I need a root canal treatment but do not have a lot of money, is there a time limit for how long that I can put off the tooth infection? I will also admit that finances are not the only issue. I have some pretty severe dental anxiety, so between the two issues going to the dentist is the last thing I want to do.

Callie Anne

Dear Callie Anne,

I could not give you anything definitive without examining the tooth. However, I can give you some basic guidelines. If it is not hurting and has not hurt for some time, you could get away with waiting while you save up. Some patients can go years with what is known as an arrested infection and not notice much of a difference. However, once the root canal treatment is done, they realize they suddenly feel better.

That being said, if there are any signs of an active infection, you likely cannot afford to wait and should get it treated. Most dentists leave room in their schedule for urgent appointments.

Here are some signs that you have an active infection:

There is a pimple on your gums.
There is pain, even if it just a little.
There is drainage.

Dealing with Dental Anxiety

You are not the only person who avoids the dentist, so please do not feel bad about your anxiety. I do know something that could help you, though. My suggestion is that you see a dentist who offers dental sedation options, especially if they offer more than one level of sedation.

If you have severe anxiety, than oral conscious sedation will be the way to go. It is administered by a simple pill but is so strong that you can sleep completely through your appointment. People who use sedation find it completely changes their life and they are able to finally see the dentist without any fear.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

My Child Struggles at the Dentist

Posted on September 20, 2023 by writeradmin.

I need some advice. My son is six years old and really struggles at the dentist. He won’t sit still and sometimes tries to grab the instruments. Our pediatric dentist puts up with it but now he needs to have a cavity filled and I’m worried about him and the drill. My dentist just suggested we use a papoose board. She showed it to me but I’m not sure I want to go that direction. Is there any other option?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

It is not uncommon for young people to struggle with sitting still at the dentist. You are right, though, that you do not want him doing that when a drill is involved. For those who don’t know what a papoose board is, I am going to post an image here.

This is not as scary as it may look to a parent. It’s more like a big hug. It works a bit like the way swaddling does for infants. The wrapping makes the child feel more secure. Most of them calm down very quickly and can even fall asleep.

Another option is to see a family dentist who offers dental sedation options. There are generally two levels of sedation offered. The first is nitrous oxide. This is a gas that he can breathe through a nose piece. It will relax him. However, if his anxiety is high it he will be able to fight off its effects. In that case, he’d be better off using oral conscious sedation. This is so strong that he will sleep through the procedure and likely not even remember it. He will be groggy for a few hours after the procedure as well.

Either one of these procedures will help your son get the care he needs. What you don’t want is to put off treatment. Cavities have a way of turning into tooth infections when left untreated. You do not want him to end up with a dental emergency.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Can a Holistic Dentist Fix My Dentist’s Mistake?

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Dr. Dennis.

I’m scared of what’s going to happen to me and need some advice. My dentist told me I needed a filling. I was surprised because I didn’t feel any different. But, I’ve never had a cavity before so maybe that’s normal. I insisted on a composite filling because I didn’t want a metal filling. My dentist agreed, which was a relief. However, while he was working on my tooth he suddenly said it’s infected and he needs to do a root canal treatment and dental crown. That surprised me more. Surely I’d feel an infection. As he’s the dentist I decided to trust him. Sometime during the procedure, I heard and felt a snap. My dentist said the file broke and it’s best to just leave it as is. Then he proceeded to move on. I was flabbergasted. If I didn’t want a metal filling, I certainly don’t want a metal file in my tooth. Should I see a holistic dentist? Would they be a better option for fixing this?

Livvie

Dear Livvie,

someone holding an aloe vera plant in their hands

Holistic Dentists Consider the Health of the Whole Body

I can understand your concern. First, I want to tell you while a broken file isn’t a regular thing, it does happen. Sometimes it’s a faulty file. Sometimes the dentist made a mistake. Sometimes it was just a freak accident.

It’s not unheard of for dentists to leave a broken file in place. Generally, it’s because they don’t want to irritate the area too much. However, I don’t blame you for not wanting to leave a piece of metal in your mouth.

A Holistic Dentist Will be More Sympathetic

While many dentists will tell you it’s not worth the trouble to remove the file, holistic dentists will understand your feelings. They tend to consider the health of the whole body and will understand your desire not to leave metal in the canals of your pulp tooth.

They will either remove it themselves or, if they feel that will be too traumatic, will give you a referral to a specialist.

Diagnosing Tooth Problems

Patients don’t generally feel decay. The exception to that is when it is so extensive it affects the pulp of the tooth or is close to a nerve. In that case, you would need a root canal treatment because the tooth is infected. However, an infected tooth is painful. So painful, it even drives those who abhor going to a dentist into the dental chair.

The fact that you had absolutely no pain makes me wonder if your decay was really as extensive as he said. If you’re concerned you were misdiagnosed, it’s perfectly acceptable to take your x-rays to another office to get a second opinion. As you’re going to see a holistic dentist anyway, I’d recommend you do that.

If it turns out you were misdiagnosed, you will be within your rights to demand a full refund. He should also pay for the appointment to remove the file. Because of the challenge in removing the file, you might consider getting dental sedation for that procedure. This will enable you to be relaxed and even sleep if you so choose during what could be a longer than normal appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Susan Dennis.