dental anxiety Archives | Page 3 of 3 | Williams Family Dentistry

Dentist or Oral Surgeon for Extractions?

Posted on September 13, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have a terrible fear of the dentist and pretty much only go when I need a tooth pulled. I’m 50 years old and missing a large number of teeth at this point and feel like I need to get dentures. Do I go to a dentist or an oral surgeon for that?

Ben

Dear Ben,

I’m sorry for the struggles you’ve encountered. Many times, when someone is dealing with dental anxiety it is a result of trauma in the past with a dentist, often in childhood. This causes many patients to only go in for treatment when they have a dental emergency, such as you’ve done.

I would go to the dentist who is going to do the dentures for the extractions. If you go to two practitioners, one for the extractions and one for the dentures, there will need to be perfect communication. Denture preparation is something most dentists know how to do.

Because of your dental anxiety, I’m going to suggest you use a dentist who has sleep dentistry available. This will allow you to get your dental work done without any anxiety. In fact, if you want, you can nap through the entire procedure.

A Danger with Dentures

Before you settle on dentures, I want you aware of what you’re getting into. Even the best fitting dentures will reduce chewing capacity by 50%. The dentures for your top arch are held in by suction and the bottom ones just sit on the ridge of your jawbone. This is where the biggest problem arises.

When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes you no longer have any teeth roots. In an effort to be efficient, it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This causes your jawbone to slowly shrink. Eventually, you won’t have enough jawbone left to support your denture. This is known as facial collapse. Because of your young age, this is especially important for you.

The Solution to Facial Collapse

The best way to prevent facial collapse is to have dental implants placed in your jaw. These will mimic the roots of your teeth and let your body know you still need the bone to retain teeth. With about four to six implants you can anchor dentures to them. These are known as implant overdentures and will completely eliminate the problems caused by dentures.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Oral Surgeon or Dentist for Extraction

Posted on June 29, 2019 by writeradmin.

I had a filling fall out. I ignored it because I’m not the best at keeping up with my needed dental care. I have some dental anxiety that tends to help me justify putting things off. Well, the tooth became painful again and I went to see a dentist who did a root canal treatment. I didn’t follow up with the crown and the dentist never contacted me. At the time I considered that good luck. Now I’m not so sure. The tooth was reinfected. I went to see another dentist who said the tooth is too far gone and needs to be extracted. He told me it’s a complicated extraction so I could go to an oral surgeon who’d use anesthesia or him with a local. Would it be unsafe to use a regular dentist? Anesthesia is pretty pricey but I don’t want to do anything unsafe.

Carl

Dear Carl,

Sedation dentistry is sometimes called sleep dentistry…for a reason.

It’s not unsafe to do an extraction with a general dentist unless the dentist is in over his head. That may be what your dentist is hinting at by even suggesting you go elsewhere. The first thing I’d do is ask him his comfort level with this procedure. If he’s comfortable then you should be fine. If he’s not you have two other choices.

Go to an Oral Surgeon

An oral surgeon will be experienced in any number of complicated extractions and you can do it under anesthesia. However, as you mentioned earlier, this is a more expensive proposition for you. I have a middle ground, which I think will also help with the dental anxiety you face as well.

Go to a Dentist who Offers Sedation Options

There are dental sedation options with a general dentist which cost less than what you’d have to pay with anesthesia. You will still be completely relaxed. In fact, it is sometimes dubbed sleep dentistry because most patients are so relaxed they sleep through the entire appointment.

You’ll find this allows you to get a lot more work done in each sitting as well. This means you can get caught up on all your neglected dental work as well.

Once your tooth is removed, it will be time for you to look at tooth replacement options. I’m going to suggest you get a dental implant as it is the best replacement option. However, if the adjacent teeth need extensive work, such as porcelain crowns, it will be more cost effective for you to get a dental bridge instead. This will crown the adjacent teeth while filling in the missing tooth.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

When Do You Transition from a Pediatric Dentist

Posted on February 15, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have a 15-year-old who still goes to a pediatric dentist. He seems content there but I read online that when they hit their teen years you are supposed to transition them to an adult dentist. Do we have to do that right now if he’s happy there? Also, if we do, does the pediatric dentist recommend a general dentist for you or do you just start trying dentists?

Katherine

Dear Katherine,

Many general dentists will see entire families

While it varies from practice to practice, most pediatric dentists will let a child stay through 18 years of age. If they’ve been there most of their lifetime, they’ll even let them go a little further while they find a general practitioner they love.

While there is no hard and fast age, you should be able to tell when your son is ready to switch. At some point he may indicate that it feels childish there. Others are quite content staying until they’re 18. It really depends on both the practice and the patient.

They grow up so quickly, there really isn’t any reason to rush him. That’s especially true if he’s happy there. These type of positive experiences will help him with a lifetime of good oral hygiene with regular dental visits.

General Dentists Who Treat Children

You mentioned needing the pediatric dentist to recommend a general dentist to you. Does this mean you don’t have a dentist for yourself? If that’s so you may want to ask for that recommendation now and get started at the practice yourself.

It’s usually helpful to get a general dentist who also treats children in case your son expresses a desire to switch. These dentists are usually more patient than most and will be a good “first experience” for your son in an adult practice.

is it possible the reason you don’t see a dentist regularly is because you have some dental anxiety? If so, don’t feel bad. There are a lot of adults who avoid the dentist. However, it will be easier for your son if you’re established at the practice too. It also gives the dentist an idea of the dental genetics of your family so he can be proactive in treatments.

Dealing with Dental Anxiety

Not may people can just will anxiety away. I often suggest that anxious patients see a sedation dentist to get comfortable with dental work. Most sedation dentists offer two different levels of sedation, depending on your level of anxiety.

The right level for you will allow you to have a pain-free/anxiety-free dental appointment. Because you’re so relaxed, you can get more work done each sitting, allowing you to get caught up on any necessary work quickly.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.