sedation dentist Archives | Williams Family Dentistry

Do Dentists Use Restraints on Children?

Posted on August 31, 2022 by writeradmin.

My sister-in-law and I were talking about our children’s teeth. I mentioned that my son loves his dentist. It’s actually where I get most of my reading done while I am waiting in the waiting room. She said I should never let my child go back to the dentist without me there because some dentists restrain children. I was shocked. I think, though, if my son were being restrained he wouldn’t like going to the dentist as much, right? should I be worried?

Pamela

Dear Pamela,

First, to put your mind at ease, I don’t think you need to be worried at all. Your son loves the dentist and I don’t think he would if anything unpleasant was happening. It sounds like you’ve given him a good foundation in dental care so that his appointments are fun and not about painful dental emergencies. It also sounds like he is happy, confident, and self-sufficient. So, don’t let your sister-in-law give you doubts. I am not espousing one method of parenting over another. I know plenty of parents who go back with their children and they do very well also. The key is knowing YOUR child and what works for them.

Second, let’s go over this idea of restraints. There are two types of restraints in dental care. Those pictured to the left are sometimes called mouth restraints or mouth props. They are designed to keep a child’s mouth open during the procedure. This is for their protection.

A colleague in dental school once told me that he didn’t use one and the child bit down while he was drilling. This caused the drill to go through the tooth and into the child’s gums. He’s never done a procedure on a child without one since that horrible incident. This type of restraint I would say is necessary and makes the child comfortable and safe.

There is another type of restraint, called a papoose. I’ve pictured this below.

Pediatric Paposse Board

These are generally only used in situations where there is a dental emergency and the child will not calm down enough for them to get the work done. It feels like a hug on the child and almost always calms them down. Most dentists who regularly work with children have ways of calming even difficult children. Though, sometimes if it is a highly invasive procedure, you may want to consider dental sedation as an alternative.

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Your son seems to be perfectly content with his pediatric dentist.

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

Worried About Having My Wisdom Tooth Extracted

Posted on March 14, 2022 by writeradmin.

I have a wisdom tooth in my jaw that has a pretty good cavity and is partially impacted. My other wisdom teeth are fully impacted but don’t have any problems. My dentist said I need to see an oral surgeon to have it extracted because of my age (I’m 37), which he says puts me at risk. He also mentioned that there is a risk of nerve damage. I’m not a comfortable patient under the best of circumstances, but now I’m terrified of this procedure. Help me understand how serious this is and is there a possibility I can not have the tooth removed at all?

Sienna

Dear Sienna,

I wish these impacted wisdom teeth of yours had been extracted when you were in your late teens to early twenties. At that age, everything is quite pliable and super easy to remove. As you age, the bone gets thicker as the roots fully form. The older you get the more difficult the extraction. I would not wait for the other ones to bother you before having them extracted. It will only get more complicated the longer you wait. As for the one with decay, it does need to come out. You don’t want to wait for an infection to develop, which can turn into a dental emergency.

As for the potential for nerve damage, that is only a real risk if the tooth is impinging on the nerve. Surgeons always tend to overstate the risk because they want to avoid any possibility of a lawsuit if things happen with a nerve beyond their control. Just make sure whomever you see gets some good 3-dimensional x-rays. This way he can work around any nerves.

I did want to address a different type of nerve issue, however. You mentioned you were not the most comfortable of patients. I want to suggest that you see a sedation dentist for any further dental care you need. Having something like oral conscious sedation when you need any work done will greatly improve your feelings toward the dentist. You will finally be able to have anxiety-free/pain-free appointments.

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

Anesthesia for Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

Posted on June 23, 2021 by writeradmin.

My 19-year-old son needs one of his wisdom teeth extracted. Apparently, it is under the bone and my dentist asked if we wanted general anesthesia. That surprised me and I wasn’t sure how to answer. I worry about general anesthesia and the complications that can come with that, but I don’t want him in any unnecessary pain either. What is the right course of action? My dentist just says it is up to me.

Franny

Dear Franny,

Based on what you have said, I don’t think your son will need anything more than oral conscious sedation. If your dentist is saying it is up to you, then there does not seem to be any complicating factors to worry about. He is in the ideal age for wisdom tooth removal. At his age, the bone is quite pliable. As we age, cementum accumulates on the roots of the teeth. However, he is far too young for that to be a concern.

I will tell you what does concern me — your dentist. I am worried that he is not comfortable with this extraction and that may be why he is hinting for a stronger means of dealing with this extraction. I don’t think it is fair of him to not give you a real recommendation. That is part of his job as he is the one with the training.

A word about oral conscious sedation. This is still a strong medication. He will likely sleep through the procedure, but when he awakens he will be groggy and not quite lucid. Plan on spending the day with him just to be there in case he needs the restroom. He won’t be too steady on his feet. My advice is to set him up on the couch with his favorite streaming service.

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

Daughter Resists Dental Care

Posted on July 29, 2020 by writeradmin.

My five-year-old daughter hates the dentist. She’s hard to treat under the best of circumstances, but the last few appointments it has become clear she has a lot of decay, more than I would expect for a child her age. I assure you we do brush her teeth. They can’t get to it because she won’t stay still in the chair. Every time they try she takes off running. What do we do to get her the treatment she needs?

Pamela

Dear Pamela,

Kids are tricky sometimes, but it is fairly normal for them to be rambunctious. One thing I would suggest is you find a pediatric dentist who also offers dental sedation. This way your daughter can receive all the treatment she needs while sleeping through the whole procedure.

What you don’t want is to let the needed treatment go and then have a dental emergency on your hands. This can not only end up with your daughter in a lot of unnecessary pain, but dental emergencies have a way of turning into life-threatening emergencies quickly.

I did want to address her extensive decay. I do believe that you care about your daughter and that you are brushing her teeth as any good parents would. For her to develop significant decay at her age would mean that she is having tons of snacks and possibly juice or soda throughout the day.

It may mean some tougher love on your part but if she is snacking a lot or drinking sugary drinks, her body doesn’t have time to keep her teeth properly defended from all the intake. My suggestion would be to limit her snacking to no more than one a day. You’ll likely find she is eating her meals better as well, as a result of having to wait on her food.

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

This Patient NEEDS a Second Opinion

Posted on June 19, 2020 by writeradmin.

I went to a dentist after starting to have some jaw pain on and off. I don’t have a regular dentist, I’m ashamed to admit. I seem to have a problem with dentists. They give me the heebie-jeebies. No offense. When I got there, he did an x-ray and found a tooth, that already had a filling, now had decay underneath. He said there isn’t enough tooth to save, so he wants me to come back and get an extraction then either a dental bridge or dental implant. I don’t have to tell you again how I feel about dentists. Is there another option?

Humphrey

Dear Humphrey,

Bear in mind I haven’t seen you, but what the dentist you went to is saying doesn’t ring true to me. First, you just started having pain. By what he described the pain would have shown up earlier and been much more severe. Second, if the decay were that severe, he wouldn’t need an x-ray to tell you that. It is even very likely that your filing will have fallen out completely. Thirdly I’m going to suggest you get a second opinion from another dentist.

When you do that, please be certain it is a blind second opinion. What I mean by that is you don’t tell the second opinion dentist who originally diagnosed you or what he said. Just tell him the symptoms and let him draw his own conclusions. That way there will be no bias in his diagnosis.

A Word about Your Dental Anxiety

You are not alone in your heebie-jeebies, and no, I’m not offended. Because of that, I’d like you to see a dentist who offers dental sedation options. This way, for whatever treatment you actually do need, it can be an anxiety-free and pain-free appointment for you.

I have found, in my use of dental sedation, that patients with dental anxiety have their life has been changed. They are able to get to the dentist regularly without any dread. I’d start with nitrous oxide which will relax you but not require you to have someone drive you to or from your appointment.

If you find, you need something stronger, than I would suggest oral conscious sedation. This is quite strong so in addition to driving you to and from your appointment, they will also need to stay with you afterward until you are lucid and steady on your feet again. The good news about such a strong relaxant is you will most likely sleep through your entire appointment.

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

Infected Wisdom Tooth

Posted on January 16, 2020 by writeradmin.

I have a wisdom tooth which began to hurt. I scheduled a dental appointment and they told me it was infected and needed to be extracted. The dentist suggested I just get all the wisdom teeth extracted while I’m there. That’s going to be very expensive, but I agreed. He gave me antibiotics and told me to schedule the extraction. I didn’t actually schedule the extraction. The antibiotics kicked in and the tooth no longer hurt so I decided I didn’t need to. Now it’s hurting again. Is the infection back? Should I get more antibiotics?

Livvie

Dear Livvie,

The tooth infection never actually went away. The only thing an antibiotic does is hold it at bay. The medicine kept it in check and then when the medicine was done, it flared back up. Dental infections are different than other types. In order for the infection to completely go away, it has to be physically removed by the dentist either with a root canal treatment or by extracting the tooth. In your case, what happened is the antibiotic helped with the infection which made you feel better, but didn’t really eradicate the infection.

These need to be taken seriously because the infection will spread. Even in the 21st century, people still die from tooth infections. Think about how close your brain is to your jaw. If it spreads quickly, your life could be at risk.

Do You Need to Have All Your Wisdom Teeth Extracted?

You’re extracting this tooth because it is infected. You didn’t mention anything about the teeth being impacted. Unless they are (or also are infected) I see no reason to extract the other three. That is a waste of money and an unnecessary risk. I recommend calling the office and asking why he wants the other three wisdom teeth removed. While you’re on the phone with them, schedule your extraction.

Many patients avoid procedures like this because of dental anxiety. Let’s face it, even if you’re not someone who avoids the dentist, I doubt you’d be jumping up and down about the idea of a tooth being pulled. Fortunately, there is a way to do this in an anxiety-free (and pain-free) way.

Make sure the dentist who is doing the extraction has sedation dentistry available. This will allow you to sleep through the procedure if you want to.

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

Pediatric Dental Filling Keeps Falling Out

Posted on May 15, 2019 by writeradmin.

I took my daughter to see the dentist a couple of months ago. I was a bit surprised when he said my daughter had three cavities. I’m very diligent with her dental care and even brush after her if I don’t think she’s been through enough. However, I agreed to the fillings as long as he did the white fillings. He didn’t have a problem with that. Unfortunately, every one of the fillings has fallen out…twice! I don’t know if this dentist knows what he’s doing. Should I go elsewhere? We’re a small area and not many dentists do white fillings out here.

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

Based on what you’ve said, I think it’s possible that your dentist did the white fillings just to make you happy but isn’t as experienced with them as with the amalgam fillings. Their bonding methods are completely different. Without adequate experience with then, he may not realize how important it is they stay dry during the bonding process.

If any moisture gets under the filling it breaks the bond. With children especially, this can be challenging. They are wiggly and move their tongues quite a bit. There are methods a dentist can use with children to help keep it dry but he may not be aware of these. Additionally, even with those methods, some children just have trouble cooperating with this particular procedure.

Helping Wiggly Children Get White Fillings

Don’t feel bad if your daughter is one of the wiggly ones. Children are supposed to be wiggly. It’s part of their charm. However, medical procedures sometimes require them to be still. In that case, many dentists will suggest some form of dental sedation. Even a mild sedation, such as nitrous oxide, can put a little one to sleep allowing the dentist to get straight on with the work at hand.

As far as seeing another dentist, you could look for a mercury-free dentist and see if they work with children. A general dentist is qualified to work with children, so you wouldn’t necessarily have to see another pediatric dentist. Each of them did a pediatric rotation. You would want to make sure they enjoy children though. This way your daughter is more likely to have a positive experience.

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.