Become a Gum Expert for Better Health

Become a Gum Expert for Better Health

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Become a Gum Expert for Better Health

When you think about gum, you might think of blowing bubbles, or freshening your breath. However, the gums you need to think of first are the pink ones in your mouth supporting your teeth. I didn't know how important healthy gums were until I came down with a case of gingivitis in my early 20's. I had neglected my brushing and flossing habits for nearly a decade, so my last few years of college were marred by pain in my mouth and bleeding gums. It took me over a year of hard work to reverse the damage I caused and restore my mouth to peak health. My recovery included an uncomfortable and lengthy procedure known as root planing, and that experience convinced me to help others avoid the entire issue of gum disease. This is why I've created my own website to help everyone protect their gums the easy way.

 

3 Levels of Sedation Dentistry

27 February 2017
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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If you are nervous about going to the dentist or you have a lot of work that needs to be done, you may want to consider seeing a dentist that can provide sedation dentistry. There are several kinds of sedation that your dentist may choose from. 

Nitrous Oxide

Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide has been used in sedation dentistry for many years. Your dentist will put a little mask over your nose and have you breathe in the gas through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

There are a lot of benefits to using nitrous oxide for sedation. One is that your doctor can easily change how much you are getting at any point. Another is that it is pretty minimal sedation. You will still be conscious and relatively "with it," but the edge will be taken off and you will feel better. Nitrous oxide also wears off very quickly with few side effects, usually, so your dentist may allow you to drive home. 

IV/Oral Moderate Sedation

The next level of sedation is a moderate sedation. At this level, you are conscious and communicative, but not truly aware. You should be able to answer questions if asked, but you may not remember questions that were asked earlier in the session. You may even fall asleep during the procedure.

Moderate sedation can be done in one of two ways. One is that your dentist may give you a pill that you can take when you get to their office. The other is that you may get an IV that has the medication in it. After your procedure, your dentist may require that you stay in the office until you are more awake, just so that they can monitor your response. You will not be able to drive yourself home if you have had moderate sedation because you will not be safe behind the wheel. 

Deep Sedation/Anesthesia

Deep sedation and anesthesia is the final place to go when using sedation dentistry. At this level, you are completely asleep and completely unaware as to what is going on. If you have to have a lot of work done, say multiple root canals, or have a serious dental phobia, this may be a good choice for you. Deep sedation is most often given by IV, but your doctor may choose to use oral medication as well or instead. 

If you worry about dental work and seeing your dentist, sedation dentistry may be the right choice for you.