Dental Sedation

Dental anxiety is a common but often underestimated issue that affects millions of people worldwide. The fear of dental procedures can prevent individuals from seeking the essential oral care they need, leading to a decline in their oral health. Thankfully, dental sedation has emerged as an effective solution to help patients overcome their anxiety and receive the dental care they deserve. In this blog, your North Hollywood, CA, dental office, will take a look at dental anxiety and how dental sedation can make a difference in a patient’s dental experience.

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Taking care of your smile is a lifelong process. After all, there are countless factors out there that pose a significant threat to your structure’s integrity, and these factors do not cease with time. Because of this, implementing a well-rounded preventive care routine is absolutely necessary. The truth of the matter is, however, that fear or anxiety that accompanies attending these appointments is a very real phenomenon, and for some, it is enough to keep them away from necessary treatment. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist takes a look at the different options our team utilizes to make your visit more comfortable, and how sedation dentistry can help you experience a state of relaxation.

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Dental sedation isn’t an option that everyone will need as part of their dental treatment plans. In fact, it’s typically only reserved for more extensive dental procedures, or to help patients with severe dental anxiety remain calm throughout the course of their treatment. However, if you fall into one of these categories, then making dental sedation part of your treatment could be an important factor in the treatment’s success. In addition to easing your dental anxiety, if necessary, the right level of dental sedation can also help make several treatment options more comfortable and convenient.

For dealing with severe tooth decay

Severe tooth decay is the kind of problem that doesn’t occur often, and for several reasons. One of these is the fact that tooth decay can cause direct discomfort to your tooth, and treating the decay early is the only way to alleviate it. However, in severe cases, tooth decay may become severe enough to infect the inner pulp chamber and root canal of your tooth. If this occurs, your dentist may have to perform root canal treatment in order to save the tooth. Because the procedure involves accessing the interior of the tooth, sedation can help make it more comfortable and accelerate the speed of the treatment.

For treating your gingivitis or gum disease

Treating gingivitis or more advanced gum disease can often require involved cleaning, treatment, and maintenance of your gums. For example, deep cleaning (or periodontal cleaning) involves carefully accessing and cleaning the roots of your teeth. The entire procedure can take multiple visits to complete, with your dentist accessing and cleaning a specific quadrant of your mouth during each visit. These sessions can be made more comfortable and effective with the help of the right dental sedation.

For replacing lost teeth with dental implants

Tooth loss is one of the more serious concerns with your oral health, and preserving your smile after it occurs is an important step in avoiding more serious complications. For many people, the most lifelike and beneficial option for replacing lost teeth is with the help of dental implants, which act as roots for your prosthetic dental bridge or denture. Placing dental implants requires minor oral surgery, and to make it a more comfortable process, you can benefit from the use dental sedation throughout your implant treatment processes.

Learn if you can benefit from dental sedation

For certain procedures, you may benefit from making dental sedation part of your overall treatment plan. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.

There are many reasons why someone might put off seeking necessary dental treatment, but for many patients, anxiety over their procedure is one of the most significant concerns. Even if you don’t exhibit a particularly strong fear of the dentist or dental treatment, there are some procedures that require more involved care and, as such, may cause some patients to feel slightly anxious about them. With the help of an appropriate level of dental sedation, many patients can easily overcome that anxiety and enjoy a more comfortable and convenient experience than they expected.

When your tooth needs root canal treatment

Root canal treatment has come a long way over the last several decades, and is a much more convenient process than many people expect. However, it involves accessing the interior part of your tooth to remove a severe infection, which itself can cause extreme levels of discomfort while it remains in your tooth. If you worry about the extent of the procedure or the discomfort while your dentist is removing the internal infection, then the use of dental sedation can help you get through the experience worry-free, and much more comfortably.

When you need periodontal scaling and root planing

Deep cleaning, or periodontal cleaning, involves carefully and thoroughly removing the buildup of plaque and tartar from your teeth roots. Because your teeth roots lie underneath your gums, cleaning them is not as simple as cleaning the visible crowns of your teeth during a routine checkup and cleaning. Also known as scaling and root planing, periodontal cleaning requires your dentist to carefully expose your teeth roots to successfully clean them and remove bacteria from underneath your gums. The process usually requires several visits to complete, though an appropriate level of dental sedation can help make each session a faster and more comfortable process.

When you’re going to have dental implants placed

The loss of your teeth can have several negative impacts on your smile, and dental implants are often the best solution for helping patients avoid these impacts. Yet, unlike placing a traditional dental bridge or denture, placing dental implants requires surgical treatment to implant the root-like posts into your jawbone. As with any oral surgery procedure, the use of dental sedation may be an important part of the procedure, and its intensity can be moderated throughout your procedure for optimal safety and comfort.

Learn more about the benefits of dental sedation

By helping to keep you calm and relaxed throughout your procedure, dental sedation can help make some of the more complex treatments much more comfortable and convenient. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.

We always want our patients to feel relaxed and comfortable when they see us, whether they’re coming in for a cleaning or to have a tooth replaced. In order to ensure their comfort through oral surgical procedures, or if they suffer from dental anxiety, we may offer dental sedation. What sedation options do we offer our North Hollywood, CA, patients, and who qualifies for these calming sedative options?

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While everyone’s smile is unique, there are some dental issues that are common for everyone. For instance, everyone can experience teeth stains even if they keep their smiles healthy, and everyone could get a cavity if they slip even once in their dental hygiene and preventive care routines. Fortunately, everyone can also prevent cavities from forming, and therefore avoid the need for tooth decay treatment, by understanding what a cavity is and how to avoid leaving your teeth vulnerable to one.

What Is a Cavity?

A cavity is a hole, and in the context of your teeth, it’s caused by harmful oral bacteria eroding the protective enamel around them. Once this enamel is compromised, harmful oral bacteria can infect your tooth’s main structure, called dentin, and leave a hole in their wake as they continue eroding more of it.

What Makes Them Worse

Oral bacteria attack tooth enamel by producing harmful acids after metabolizing nutrients like carbohydrates. The more often they’re exposed to food and beverages, the more often they can attack your teeth, which makes you more likely that they can produce enough acid to compromise your tooth enamel. Lack of good hygiene also gives oral bacteria the chance to accumulate enough to form a cavity much quicker.

How to Prevent Them

The key to preventing a cavity is to prevent the underlying causes behind its development. For instance, if you limit snacking throughout the day, then you can inhibit the production of acid from harmful oral bacteria. If you diligently brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once, then you can control oral bacteria’s population, and consequently, their overall strength when attacking your teeth.

Learn More About Protecting Your Teeth from Cavities

Cavities may have the ability to affect virtually everyone, but with the right care and attention, you have an excellent chance of protecting your teeth for them. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353.

Dental sedation is most notable for its ability to help patients overcome serious cases of dental fear and phobia. This enables them to receive the care they need to prevent progressive dental issues and avoid needing more serious treatment later. However, even if you aren’t particularly anxious or fearful of visiting the dentist, sedation might make your treatment easier by helping you remain comfortable for longer. Today, we examine a few treatment options that are often made easier with the help of dental sedation.

Oral Surgery

Oral surgery is generally reserved for addressing complex issues that can’t be addressed with more conservative reconstructive dentistry. For instance, wisdom tooth extraction, gum contouring, and more involve the surgical removal of impacted tooth structure or compromised periodontal tissues (respectively). These procedures can be completed faster, more comfortably, and with more precise results if you’re appropriately sedated.

Implant Placement

Dental implant placement is another oral surgery procedure that involves placing one or more implant posts into your jawbone. While the surgery can be involved, it can be made much simpler with a strong enough sedation to keep you calm and relaxed. This also improves the results of your treatment by allowing for more precise placement of your implant posts.

Full-Mouth Reconstruction

Even if you don’t need oral surgery, you may require full-mouth reconstruction that involves multiple reconstructive dental treatments, such as tooth fillings, root canal treatment, dental crowns, and more. Full-mouth reconstruction often involves multiple visits to complete each treatment necessary, though with sedation, your dentist can limit that time by completing more of your treatment during each visit.

Learn if Sedation Can Make Your Treatment More Comfortable

The appropriate level of dental sedation can make a wide variety of treatments easier and more comfortable. To find out if it’s right for you, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.