Unfortunately, some sedation dentists in Raleigh NC, and across the U.S. have used the term sleep dentistry for what should really be called sedation dentistry. Whether the intent of that was to simplify things for consumers or a marketing tactic doesn’t really matter. In reality, it has done nothing but create confusion for the general public. The confusion particularly affects those who experience dental anxiety to the extent that they would prefer to be put to sleep during their dental treatments. Those people may find themselves looking for a sleep dentist rather than a sedation dentist in Raleigh. That’s because he layman’s term being put to sleep has long been associated with the use of general anesthesia. So that’s why we have to sort through all three terms at once to clear up the confusion!

Sedation dentistry, which is marketed by some dentists as sleep dentistry, does not involve the use of general anesthesia.  Because of the confusion that the term sleep dentistry creates, both the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) have discouraged dentists form using that term. Dental regulatory boards in some states have also banned the use of the term sleep dentistry in dental marketing.

While general anesthesia could technically be considered a form of sedation (because the patient is relaxed using a pharmacological approach), sedation dentistry generally refers to the use of pharmacological approaches that do not intentionally cause the patient to become unconscious. This is in contrast to general anesthesia which does intentionally render the patient unconscious.

General anesthesia is used by dentists in some fields of dental specialty, especially oral surgeons. Because general anesthesia causes you to become unconscious, there is a much greater possibility that you might need to be resuscitated. That is why it is usually administered only in a hospital setting where an artificial airway can be maintained to support an instant resuscitation attempt. The hospital (or hospital-like) setting and staffing needed for the administration of general anesthesia also makes it a much more costly option than sedation dentistry. Oral surgeons will normally recommend that lesser sedation techniques be used in conjunction with local anesthesia whenever practical. That recommendation is based not only on helping patients to control costs, but perhaps more importantly to minimize the degree of risk to the patient.

I hope that helps clear up some of the confusion you might have experienced. If your dental anxiety (about have dental procedures done or about the use of needles to administer local anesthesia) is such that you feel you need to be put to sleep, I would be glad to explain why a sedation dentist in Raleigh is probably a good, safe, and comfortable option for you, even if you are not put to sleep with the use of general anesthesia. Part of that is understanding that consciousness is not an on/off state, but rather a sliding scale. The further along the scale you go, the more risk is involved. In 2009, the NC state dental board recently put in force regulations that assure patient safety in the use of various levels of sedation – controlling the amount of sedative used, how it is administered, the dentist’s training/experience level, the staff’s training, and presence of appropriate resuscitation equipment.  If you are interested in using a sedation dentist in Raleigh, give us a call. We will be glad to answer additional questions you might have.

More and more studies continue to link other health issues (diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, etc.) to periodontal disease. In some cases, the health issue predisposes you to gum disease. In other cases, gum disease is suspected as being a precipitating cause of the health issue. We are still trying to better understand the full consequences of bacteria and byproducts that develop around inflamed gums on other body parts and systems. In light of these risks, sedation dentistry just makes good sense for those who are putting off regular cleanings and check-ups. Because of the seriousness of gum disease, there is much research going on to assist with risk assessment and detection. This includes research to determine whether genetic testing can identify those at high risk and who really need more frequent dental visits to head off the serious problems. Other types of tests, which would let us easily test fluid in the mouth (not saliva, but fluid that accumulates in crevices between gums and teeth) and determine how advanced gum disease truly is, are also being explored. Even a skilled dentist’s eye may not detect just how advanced the disease has actually become.

Until some of these tests become proven and readily available, periodontal disease will remain, for the most part, a silent predator for those who don’t regularly visit a dentist. Ask us about sedation dentistry if you’re not comfortable with regular dental visits. Especially ask us if you have factors that do predispose you to gum disease (diabetes, smoking, women with hormonal fluctuations, family history of gum disease, receding gums) or indicators that it is already present (bleeding around the gums, a loose tooth). If you already know that you have periodontal disease but can’t stand undergoing periodontal treatments, you should let us explain sedation dentistry to you, as well as the risks you’re exposing yourself to if you don’t get the regular treatments you need. We not only provide sedation dentistry, our comprehensive dentistry services also include periodontal treatments. If you are one of those who has to contend with periodontal disease, this allows you the convenience of scheduling regular checkups and periodontal treatment in the same office visit.

This is somewhat frustrating from my standpoint. There are many people going without needed dental care – from regular exams and cleaning to more serious issues – because of the anxiety they feel about going to a dentist. Those people often wait until the condition becomes serious. At that time, they require much more costly procedures that ARE typically covered by dental insurance.

It’s too bad there’s not an easy way to track what’s happening with these would-be sedation dentistry patients. It’s my guess that accurate comparison data – contrasting costs of early treatment (including sedation costs) versus outlay for treating the more advanced situation – would show that covering sedation dentistry costs could reduce payouts for insurance companies in the long run. Crowns and bridges can be quite expensive in contrast to filling teeth that have small cracks or show small areas of decay.

With time, I hope that dental insurance providers will figure this out. For now, I think patients must do their own financial evaluations. Even without insurance reimbursement for the sedation dentistry costs, it is possible that patients could reduce their out-of-pocket costs in the long run. The later you treat a dental issue, the more expensive it’s likely to be. I don’t advocate using sedation for everyone – only those who need it.

I’m hoping that sedation dentistry will soon be recognized as a (reimbursable) service critical to preventive dentistry for many patients. Until that day comes, our office can work with you to establish a payment plan for sedation dentistry in Raleigh, NC to help you get the treatment you need.

The Raleigh, NC and Cary, NC divide might be one of the least logical stumbling blocks. It’s less than 10 miles from downtown Cary, NC to our downtown Raleigh, NC office location, depending on the route you pick. (Don’t worry – we have our own parking lot, even though we’re downtown.) From a dentistry point of view, this made me wonder whether Cary, NC residents who are trying to find rarer dental services – like sedation dentistry – are looking online but not finding us. The new regulations by the NC dental board for sedation dentistry might make it even harder for patients who want the service to find certified providers. Maybe I’d not really carefully considered this before because we have a lot of sedation dentistry patients who travel from other states, not to mention those who make the short trip from Cary, NC.

At any rate, the conversation made me think. Maybe I’ll use the maps feature on Google more often to understand my options more logically when I’m looking for services and entertainment venues in the future. And I hope people who need sedation dentistry – especially those who are putting off work they really need – will realize they have more nearby options than they thought. That’s why we pursued the extra training for sedation dentistry years ago and got certified very quickly. We’re trying to remove all the barriers to people getting the treatment they really need or want by providing sedation dentistry, in addition to our other wide range of services.

Oral conscious sedation – a level of sedation used to carry out minor to relatively extensive dental procedures – doesn’t put you to sleep (cause you to lose consciousness). When you experience oral conscious sedation, you aren’t subject to the additional risk that comes with increased levels of sedation (such as general anesthesia) that are used for more serious oral surgery purposes. We call those increased levels of sedation deep sedation because they do result in loss of consciousness.

What Does Oral Conscious Sedation Mean?

Oral means that the sedation is provided orally (one or more pills), rather than being given intravenously (with a needle). Secondly, with this form of sedation dental care, you remain conscious, even though you are likely to remember little, if anything, about the treatment experience afterwards. Even those who have experienced it would find it hard to describe the state because of the short-term lack of awareness and time that typically occurs. Many people assume or state that they were asleep because of their lack of recollection. The advantages of remaining conscious are:

• You can still “assist” the dentist – respond to verbal commands (e.g., open your mouth, close your mouth) even though you’re not aware enough to feel like you’re actually participating in the procedure. Your ability to assist can actually shorten the duration of the procedure.
• There is less risk of needing to be resuscitated because of the type of sedation being used.
• This form of sedation is generally less expensive than sedation that renders you unconscious. (The environment, equipment, and staff training requirements all necessarily become more complex to control risk when a patient becomes unconscious. This results in higher costs being passed on to you.)

With oral conscious sedation, you are sedated enough that you will need a caregiver to come to our office and take you home afterward. With many extensive procedures for which we use this method of sedation, patients report that they need less medication to control any post-treatment discomfort compared to when the same treatment is performed without sedation.

Be sure to ask us if you have other questions about sedation dental care and why it might be helpful to you or a family member.

For centuries, those about to purchase a horse have taken a look in the horse’s mouth as a means of assessing the wisdom of their investment – outward appearances can be misleading. Primarily, horse buyers have been looking for distinct and quite reliable indicators of the horse’s actual age. In recent decades, there’s growing evidence of the importance of looking in humans’ mouths – not so much to determine age, but to potentially predict problems with not only their oral health, but also their general health.

The connections between oral health and general health are truly amazing. If anxiety about dental treatment is causing you to avoid needed treatment – especially for periodontal disease – then you need to start looking for a Raleigh sedation dentist.

Periodontal disease has been shown to have a strong relationship (causative in many cases) to the following medical situations:

· Cardiovascular issues (heart attacks and strokes) – Studies are ongoing to establish periodontal disease as having a causative effect.

· Premature delivery/low birth weight – Observations and studies show a strong tie to the mother’s gum disease, if it exists.

· Diabetes control – That people with diabetes are prone to gum disease has been known for many, many decades, but newer studies suggest that untreated gum disease can make it hard to control blood sugar levels.

· Respiratory health – In hospitals and nursing homes, evidence suggests that severe gum disease can result in inhalation of bacteria and the development of bacterial pneumonia. Studies are also being used to determine whether gum disease causes flares of respiratory disease in people with COPD.

See a Raleigh Sedation Dentist – For Your Health

A sedation dentist can work with you to overcome your dental anxiety and get the treatment you need. This is particularly important if you are suffering from or beginning to develop gum disease. If you have considered looking for a Raleigh sedation dentist but have been concerned about the safety of using sedation, you can feel more assured than ever. In 2009, the NC Dental board enacted formal guidelines for the administration of sedation by dentists. The dental board now certifies that dentists who have permits to practice sedation dentistry have the necessary training and experience to do it safely. The number of Raleigh sedation dentists is limited, but you owe it to yourself and to your family to find one and get the dental treatment you need to take care of your general health as well as your dental health.

Today, we know exponentially more about a whole spectrum of sedation techniques and forms of localized anesthesia. Dentists certified for providing sedation dental care today  have many more options – and an exponentially greater wealth of knowledge of dosages and risk management – than Wells and Morton did in the 1800’s. We know what types of sedation and anesthesia work best in combination for various types of dental procedures. And we know that we’re not only managing pain, but also anxiety. In terms of what the patient experiences, it’s still not well understood just how tightly intertwined the two (pain and anxiety) really are.

Many people assume that anxiety is a purely psychological experience, while pain is the purely physiological experience. Not so! For example, anti-anxiety pharmaceuticals as well as psychological procedures for treating anxiety are often useful in the treatment of pain complaints. And it’s also been scientifically proven that patients who experience high levels of anxiety before undergoing surgical procedures actually have slower healing times. It’s not just about sparing people mental distress, it’s about helping them have a better outcome, too.

That’s another reason that taking advantage of sedation dental care is just good common sense. You don’t NEED to try to figure out whether it’s anxiety or pain management that you need. We know how to manage both effectively and safely. And we’re happy to answer any questions you might have about sedation dental care in Raleigh.

I think a lot of people who are interested in sedation dental care are being held back because that question lingers at the back of their minds. The relative scarcity of Raleigh sedation dental care (or for matter, across the state of North Carolina) may be part of the reason that people don’t know that much about it. The odd thing, though, is that people are routinely sedated by physicians for procedures that are far less invasive than procedures often done in dentistry without using sedation. And yet, patients don’t usually question being sedated in those lesser circumstances.

Fortunately for residents of North Carolina, the State Board of Dental Examiners recently enacted new guidelines to help patients be assured that sedation dentistry is a safe option for them to use. The Board has put in place a rigorous certification process (July 2009), so that you can be assured that your dentist has the appropriate training. The new guidelines cover various levels of sedation, and ensure that your dentist also has the right type of equipment to monitor you while you’re undergoing sedation dental care. To put your mind fully at ease, you can always ask your dentist to show you his or her formal accreditation to provide sedation dental care, especially since the guidelines are relatively new in our state.

For the type of sedation dental care that lets you have more invasive or lengthy procedures performed comfortably, the level of accreditation is referred to as limited moderate conscious sedation dentistry, or oral conscious sedation dentistry. Some patients also need this level of sedation to be comfortable with lesser procedures, such as teeth cleanings or fillings.

If you still have questions or concerns, you may want to read our more detailed description of the new qualifications put in place by the Dental Board. Of course, Raleigh Comprehensive and Cosmetic Dentistry is happy to personally answer any questions you might have, too, whether you’re an existing patient or not. Learn more about how sedation dental care can free you from the anxiety or pain that might be standing in the way of your own or a family member’s good dental health.