I am Afraid of the Dentist and Need Sedation!

January 25, 2010 by ·

I hear that comment so very much in our Shelby Township, Michigan general dental practice. Because we take pride in taking care of our dental phobic patients it is necessary to have compassion on those who utter these words out of their mouths.

Dental fear usually is the result of just one or many bad dental experiences. Whether it is:

  • from a painful injection,
  • the smell of the drill or smell of the dental office
  • the noise associated with the dental procedure
  • the odor of the dentist
  • pain during the entire dental procedure where the dentist would not stop even thought the patient made it clear that they needed to stop.
  • or even being slapped by the dentist. (Which is child abuse now).

These are only a few of the reasons why having a trip to the dentist imparts fear through the mind of many. Just the thought of the dentist raises blood pressure, pulse rates and anxiety sets in.  All of the previously mentioned responses are from a lack of control and an invasion into someones personal space.

Lack Of Control- When a patient first shows up in the office I usually hear them give a history that the dentist did horrible things to them at  a young age which made them vouch that they will never put themselves in the situation again.  They usually told their parents what happened but the parents didn’t validate their experience, which made them stuff their feelings down so no one would know.  After many years of toothaches, avoidance and pain they make an appointment, pull up into the parking lot and then just leave.  This is true fear and is so real to the wounded individual.

Invasion of one’s personal space- This is a real occurance that many encounter.  There is an invisible space around us where we feel comfortable allowing others to encroach into that space.  For example, we will allow someone we are personal with such as our children or a spouse to get much closer to us than a complete stranger.  Dentists are complete strangers to us especially when it is our first visit.  I always ask the question “Why should we as dentists assume it is ok to invade this personal space with sharp instruments that could hurt the person”?  It isn’t OK to do this until permission is granted and there is a certain level of confidence and trust.  That only takes place over time and at a slow rate.

At our office we take our time at the first visit to just talk and to work on creating a good new experience.  Even before the initial appointment I will call the patient to welcome them to discuss their fears, answer their questions and to just say “Hi”.  This helps reduce the fear of the first visit.   High anxiety patients may require that we just give them a tour of the office.  Since we are digital we don’t smell like a dental office or even look like a dental office.  During a dental visit our objective is to:

  • Provide headphones for those who don’t want to hear what is going on
  • Nitrous oxide for those who just need a little of anxiety control
  • Oral sedation for those who don’t want to remember the appointment and to enter the appointment in a total relaxed state.
  • Use extremely strong topical  anesthetic so the shot is not felt.

It takes a lot of time, patience and compassion to team up with those who have been scarred from bad dental experiences and what is necessary is a dentist and dental team who are willing to have a desire to change this person around.  It is my true belief that we are the dental office who can treat the high fear patient located in Washington Township, Sterling Heights, Macomb Township,  Clinton Township and Shelby Township, d Michigan. Call our office at 586-247-3500 or visit our website at www.TheGentleDentist.com.

Filed Under: Dental fear, General Dentistry, How to choose a dentist, Sedation Dentistry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cold sore and canker sore treatment

December 29, 2008 by ·

Cold sores and canker sores-  What are the differences and treatments?

Over the Holidays stress reveals itself in people in many different ways.  I observe it first hand recently in patients mouths and thought it would be helpful to post some observations and treatment options.

Canker sores also known as aphthous ulcers are small painful ulcers with a white or gray base and a red border. Unlike cold sores, canker sores appear inside the mouth and are not contagious. There may be only one canker sore or several and they often return. Their exact cause is uncertain but some experts believe that immune system problems, bacteria or viruses may be involved.  Fatigue, stress or allergies can increase the likelihood of a canker sore. A cut caused by biting the cheek or tongue, or reactions from hot, spicy  foods may contribute to canker sore development. Intestinal problems, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease, also seem to make some people more susceptible.

Treating Canker Sores: They usually heal on their own after a week or two.. Over-the-counter topical anesthetics and antimicrobial mouth rinses may provide temporary relief. Stay away from hot, spicy or acidic foods that can irritate the sore.  I have instantly treated these sores locally with a medication called debactrol that actually  the sore.  The pain is resolved immediately and healing is instituted on the spot.  Over the holidays I treated my brother-in-law who is working out of the country.  He has been stressed and made sure we could take care of the pain.  He was suffering for weeks and in an instant his pain was taken care of.

Cold sores, fever blisters or Herpes simplex type 1 are different in that they are very infective fluid filled blisters that erupt from a viral infection.  They are annoying and painful and erupt on the outside of the mouth usually on the lips or on the face.  Once a person is infected with the virus there is an occasional outbreak because the virus stays in the nerve and is never  totally eliminated. They may follow a fever, sunburn stress and emotional upset.

Treating Cold sores-These infections will usually heal after a week on their own.  During the time they are erupted these sores are very infective so do not contact anyone with the lesion or they will contract the virus.  A tingling sensation will usually precede the outbreak of the virus.  Antiviral medications and topical agents can be prescribed to reduce the length of time and intensity of the infection.  I will also recommend that the patient keep 1 or 2 of the anti viral tablets readily available and when the tingling sensation starts to have them take the pills immediately.  They are to then refill the prescription.  This immediate treatment will reduce the level of outbreak or the outbreak may not even occur.

About the Author

Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home.  His motto is to relax while we take care of your smile. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb County, Michigan. In addition to Dr. Antolak’s practice in Shelby Township, The Gentle Dentist provides portable dental services for the handicapped and homebound.

Filed Under: Dental Emergencies, General Dentistry, Headache treatment, Mouth pain, Nutrition, Oral Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Complete Dentistry-What does this mean?

August 10, 2008 by ·

I have the pleasure visiting some of our homebound senior citizens and treating them each week with our  PortableDentalServices.com dental van.  Each visit is quite powerful because it helps us get insight into our patient’s eating habits and evaluate their previous dentistry. 

This past week I had a patient who had his teeth “patched” up over his 80 years or so.  He held his dentist in high regard in that he trusted him and valued his opinion over the years.  He had lost some fillings over the past year that he thought needed to be refilled.  The truth was that he had some enormous fillings in his teeth to the point that there was nothing left to fill. 

He had a dry mouth which I find in many of my patients who are on multiple medications.  These medications dry out the mouth leaving their teeth prone to dental decay.  We usually find that when faced with chronic dry mouth these patients start sucking on candies or drinking soda to keep their mouths wet.  This exposure to sugars and refined carbohydrates are bad because they promote dental decay. 

When this home bound patient was examined he had many cavities.  Only if his dentist didn’t do him “such a favor” and do patch work he would have avoided this massive breakdown of the teeth.  Even though It is possible to get cavities under crowns he would have been best served with crowns (caps).  For patients who are at risk for these cavities they should be treated with crowns that cover the entire tooth. 

Sometimes the good intentions of some dentists to do as little as possible for a patient seems to be the best.  The reality is that broken teeth, large cavities, root canals, food traps and poor oral hygiene can be a consequence of the “let’s just watch it” attitude of some dentists.  Just be careful that when a cavity and broken filling is so large that a crown is suggested, it would be a wise decision to do so. 

So Complete Dentistry is to do the most conservative procedures but know when it is wise to invest in more invasive procedures such as crowns, implants, root canals and dental bridges.  At our office we take digital photos of the entire jaw so that you can actually see where there are areas of concern.  This way you can make the most informed decision for your best level of care.

Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home.  His motto is to “relax while we take care of your smile”. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb county Michigan

Filed Under: Dental Emergencies, Fillings, General Dentistry, Portable Dentistry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,