You’ve tried going to the dentist to have much-needed dental work done, but it’s just too hard. First, you have to pick up the phone and make the call, but every time you reach for the phone, your hand shakes and your nerves rattle. If you can get through scheduling that appointment, then you have to physically go to the dentist’s office, which means even more anxiety.

And then, once you’re there, there’s no time to congratulate yourself for facing your fears. You’re bombarded with the sounds and smells, and your stomach is tied up in knots. Even if you make it all the way to the examination room, trying to distract yourself with music or relaxation techniques, the dentist still interrupts with that dreaded request to “open wider, please.”

At best, you’re slightly anxious about a trip to the dentist’s office. At worst, you’re absolutely terrified. So, you put it off. You avoid making appointments. You cancel the appointments you do make. You come up with reasons and excuses to avoid going to the dentist, but the truth is that you’re scared.

Dental Phobia

The good news is that you’re not alone. One in seven Americans suffers from dental phobia, and the phobia can be so severe that these patients will go years without seeing a dentist.

Here at the Blende Dental Group, we get it. What you really want is a way to have your dental work done without having to be there at all. At the very least, you wish you could sleep through the whole thing.

Welcome to sedation dentistry, the stress-free world of sleeping through your dental procedure. Using IV sedation, the dentist puts you into a deep sleep and then works on your teeth. You’ll feel no pain, and when you wake, your dental procedures will be all done.

Sedation Dentist

There are several types of sedation dentistry methods available, and the Blende Dental Group uses all of them. Some (like nitrous oxide or oral sedatives) leave you awake but completely relaxed. These are ideal if you don’t need a lot of work done or if your fear level is closer to “nervous” than “terrified.”

However, conscious sedation is not always enough. For extensive procedures or for people who have severe phobias, IV sedation is an ideal option.

IV Sedation Dentist

With IV sedation, we administer medication directly into your blood stream, and it goes into effect almost immediately, putting you to sleep so that your total mouth restoration can happen without your having to do anything except dream of your new, healthy and beautiful smile.

IV sedation is not as common as more familiar types of sedation, like Novocaine or nitrous oxide, because sedation dentistry requires special certification. Certified and experienced dentists, like the dentists here at the Blende Dental Group, ensure that dental sedation is just as safe as oral sedatives, such as Valium. In fact, IV sedation is more effective than oral medication because dosage can be adjusted as needed and instantaneously.

Just think—you can get all your dental work done in one, easy, painless, and worry-free visit, simply by seeing a sedation dentist. There’s no extra stress and nothing to fear—because you’ll nap through the entire procedure. You will hear nothing, taste nothing, smell nothing, feel nothing. It’s like a dream come true, and you’ll wake up with perfect teeth.

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The Blende Dental Group offers Sleep and Sedation Dentistry for fearful, phobic, and special needs patients. To learn more about sedation dentistry, download a free copy of the The Consumer’s Guide To Sleep & Sedation Dentistry. To speak with a patient care coordinator or to schedule an appointment with a sedation dentist, call 1-800-575-3375.

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In part one of this article we discussed how finding the right sedation dentist for a special needs patient is always a daunting task. It’s made even more daunting these days by the number of practitioners who claim expertise in sedation dentistry, an emerging mode of dental treatment that can be very beneficial for medically compromised and disabled patients.

With this preliminary knowledge of sedation dentistry in mind, you can interview a dental practitioner and/or his staff about the specifics and ensure that your loved one is in good hands. Here is a list of questions that Dr. Blende recommends asking before you choose a sedation dentist:

Critical Questions To Ask About Sedation Dentistry

What sedation options does the dentist offer? Again, the vast majority of sedation dentists offer only two sedation options: the simple pill or “laughing gas.” Be wary of a dentist who claims that these two forms of sedation will enable a patient to sleep through treatment. Remember, the term “sleep dentistry” can be very misleading and its use is now illegal in several states.

If you want to choose from a full spectrum of sedation dentistry options, from mild sedatives to I.V. or general anesthesia, for your loved one, ask a special needs dentist for a recommendation, or call the Blende Dental Group at 1-800-575-3375, they can recommend a sedation dentist who works near to you.

• Is the dentist experienced? What safety measures are in place to protect your loved one? You should always inquire about a dentist’s training, licensure and accreditations, and experience. How many cases similar to that of your relative’s has the dentist completed successfully?
• Also ask about the dentist office’s safety record, and make sure the practice has adequate staffing, resuscitation and safety equipment in the event of an emergency. If you are seeking intravenous (I.V. sedation), Dr. Blende believes it is safer for a physician anesthesiologist rather than the dentist to administer the I.V. sedation since the dentist is also occupied performing complex dental procedures on your family member.
• Does the dentist routinely care for patients with special needs? If your daughter has cerebral palsy, for example, make sure the dentist you’re considering routinely treats patients with this condition and stays abreast of research developments that pertain to this condition. He or she should listen to and respect your concerns and requirements. Your family member’s needs for safety, both physically and emotionally, should be readily and empathetically addressed.
• Does the dentist offer the full range of services needed for dental treatment? What types of sedation are offered to you on behalf of your relative who has special needs? Can you work with the dentist to determine the appropriate course for your loved one, as an individual, or are you “forced” into a certain approach because other options are not offered? After all, different people have different sedation requirements, due to medical conditions, disabilities, or personal desires. Not every sedation option is appropriate or safe for every person — nor even for every type of dental procedure.
• Does the dentist work in partnership with specialists such as periodontists, endodontists, and oral surgeons? If so, how does this process work? Find out if the dentist will coordinate this care for you. Can the procedures be easily coordinated into one appointment or will you need separate and multiple appointments to see your dentist and the appropriate specialists? At the Blende Dental Group, for example, a patient can receive sedation that enables him or her to sleep through all her dental work, in which a specialist can complete a root canal at the same time. That way, your relative does not have to be put to sleep again on another day.

More Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Sedation Dentist:

• Do you take our insurance plan? A good dental practice will try to optimize the amount of treatment covered under your health and dental insurance. The staff should also help you identify other resources for the financing of necessary dental work.
• Are you comfortable traveling for expert care and then returning to a dentist in your community for continuing care?
• How will the dental office help you to coordinate your appointments and travel?
• Is the dentist affiliated with any local hospitals?
• Does the dentist listen to you, treat you with respect, explain your treatment clearly, and encourage your questions?

Now that you’re a discerning, informed consumer, you can more easily make the right choice on behalf of your family. In the hands of a skilled sedation dentist in an office that cares deeply about people whose daily lives are complicated by illness or disability, transformations and compassionate, comfortable care can be achieved.

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The Blende Dental Group offers Sleep and Sedation Dentistry for fearful, phobic, and special needs patients. To learn more about sedation dentistry, download a free copy of the The Consumer’s Guide To Sleep & Sedation Dentistry. To speak with a patient care coordinator or to schedule an appointment with a sedation dentist, call 1-800-575-3375.

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Finding the right sedation dentist for a special needs patient is always a daunting task. It’s made even more daunting these days by the number of practitioners who claim expertise in sedation dentistry, an emerging mode of dental treatment that can be very beneficial for medically compromised and disabled patients.

You’ve undoubtedly heard radio advertisements or seen other promotions that promise that a patient can, with the help of a “simple pill,” sleep through his or her treatment. But these promises can be misleading, says San Francisco dentist, Dr. David Blende, one of the nation’s foremost special needs dentists and an expert who has offered patients a full spectrum of sedation for more than 20 years. “Indeed, the use of the term ‘sleep dentistry’ is illegal in some states.”

Sedation dentistry can unburden and transform the lives of special needs patients by restoring smiles and making the acts of chewing and eating pleasurable again. Special needs dentists also embrace the use of sedation because it has meant they can readily avoid and abandon the use of physical restraints and restore dignity to all their patients, even those most intolerant of treatment. After having complex work done by a sedation dentist, patients can often return to their local family dentists for routine dental appointments.

Yet, Dr. Blende recommends that before you arrange treatment for your mother with Alzheimer’s or your daughter with Down syndrome, arm yourself with the basic facts about sedation dentistry and plan to interview a prospective sedation dentist with the questions listed below.

Sedation Dentistry & Special Needs

The emerging use of sedation dentistry will change the way many of us think about the dreaded dental chair. While dentists have long used Novocaine to numb nerves and prevent pain, dentistry has lagged behind medicine in its use of sedation, or relaxants, to help patients endure uncomfortable and nerve-wracking procedures. Today, many dentists can prescribe a “simple pill,” usually Valium or Halcion, for patients who want to be relaxed and less cognizant of dental work during their appointments. Together with nitrous oxide or “laughing gas,” these are often the only sedatives so-called sedation experts offer.

For those of us who get nervous about dental appointments, mild relaxant medications make routine check-ups and dental work much less bothersome. However, it’s important to note that mild sedatives such as Valium or Halcion, when properly dosed, do not induce sleep. Patients who need to sleep through treatment—people who are profoundly afraid of dental treatment, who are medically compromised or developmentally disabled, or who need extensive dental work done—will not be not well served by these limited sedation options.

Only a select few dentists nationwide, including the Blende Dental Group and a number of university-based hospital dentistry programs, offer the full spectrum of sedation—which includes sleep-inducers such as intravenous and general anesthesia.

Fortunately, these select practitioners know each other well and readily refer patients to each other, depending on a patient’s location and mobility. In Dr. Blende’s case, he and a team of specialists including endodontists (root canal specialists), periodontists (gum disease specialists) and anesthesiologists (pain relief specialists), routinely perform full-mouth rehabilitation under general anesthesia in a hospital setting. Together with his sedation dentist, a patient can choose the form of sedation that best suits his case and is not limited to a pill or laughing gas.

In part 2 of this article, we will review the critical questions to ask before you select a sedation dentist.

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The Blende Dental Group offers Sleep and Sedation Dentistry for fearful, phobic, and special needs patients. To learn more about sedation dentistry, download a free copy of the The Consumer’s Guide To Sleep & Sedation Dentistry. To speak with a patient care coordinator or to schedule an appointment with a sedation dentist, call 1-800-575-3375.

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Sedation dentistry makes dental procedures easy and painless. Sedatives help patients relax and ensure a painless dentist visit. Sedation dentistry is ideal for patients who have special needs, dental anxiety, and those who need a significant amount of dental work to be completed in a single visit.

Before you choose a sedation dentist, it’s essential that you understand the different options that are available in sedation dentistry.

Unconscious Sedation Dentistry

With general or local anesthesia, you will sleep through your dental treatment.

General Anesthesia:

General anesthesia produces a state of unconsciousness wherein you are completely asleep during your treatment. General anesthesia is fast-acting, taking effect in approximately one minute, and can be controlled to increase or decrease your level of sedation safely and precisely. If you are afraid of receiving dental treatment, you will not have to “get over” your fear on your own, because you will sleep through your treatment. If you have special needs, such as physical or mental disabilities, are in recovery from an addiction, or have complex medical conditions, general anesthesia may be the safest option for you.

When you receive general anesthesia during your dental treatment, you will feel no pain; you will not hear, smell or taste anything, and you will have no memory of the procedure. This modality is predictable, comfortable, and ensures that your dental treatment can be easily completed.

Intravenous Sedation (I.V.):

I.V. Sedation produces a lowered level of consciousness wherein you are asleep during your treatment. I.V. sedation is fast-acting, taking effect in approximately one minute, and can be controlled to increase or decrease your level of sedation safely and precisely. If you are afraid of receiving dental treatment, you will not have to “get over” your fear on your own, because you will sleep through your treatment.

When you receive I.V. sedation during your dental treatment, you will feel no pain; you will not hear, smell or taste anything, and you will have no memory of the procedure. This modality is predictable, comfortable, and ensures that your dental treatment can be easily completed. The recovery is simple and quick.

Conscious Sedation Dentistry

With conscious sedation, you will be awake but relaxed through your dental procedure.

Oral Conscious Sedation (Pills):

A pill is taken about an hour before your treatment, which will make you feel relaxed and somewhat sleepy. You will, however, remain awake, and will be able to interact with and respond to the dentist. The sedative effects can last for up to four hours. Sometimes you may also be prescribed a pill to take the night before your treatment to help you sleep. The most commonly used oral conscious sedation medications are Halcion, Ativan or Valium, all of which generally have a low incidence of side effects.

This mode of sedation is gaining popularity and is now heavily advertised as “sedation dentistry” and “dentistry with oral conscious sedation”. However, if you hear the term “sleep dentistry” associated with the use of oral medications, understand that pills do not and should not put a patient to sleep. If you are a patient who wants to sleep through your dental treatment, oral medications should not be your choice of sedation. You will need to have a responsible adult drive you home.

Nitrous Oxide (“Laughing Gas”)

Nitrous oxide is a gas breathed though a small rubber inhaler placed over your nose that helps decrease anxiety, allowing you to feel more relaxed. The recovery time is very short, and the effects pass within minutes, so you will be able to drive yourself home. Nitrous is best used for patients with mild anxiety who are having short, uncomplicated dental treatment.

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The Blende Dental Group offers Sleep and Sedation Dentistry for fearful, phobic, and special needs patients. To learn more about sedation dentistry, download a free copy of the The Consumer’s Guide To Sleep & Sedation Dentistry. To speak with a patient care coordinator or to schedule an appointment with a sedation dentist, call 1-800-575-3375.

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