“I hate the Dentist!”
I must hear this at least once a day, but you know, we have the technology to treat most patients with Sedation Denistry. In my experience, this technique allows the dental team to correct years of problems in one appointment. The patient is safely sedated with intravenous medications allowing the patient to “sleep” through the treatment.
In the best setting, the patient can be treated in a multispecialty center which can coordinate the care and provide all necessary specialty care at one time. In this scenario, the patient is seen for a pre-operative workup where all the doctors participating in the care can meet the patient and coordinate the treatment. This typically includes the general dentist, the endondontist (root canal specialist), and the anesthesiologist. A comprehensive treatment plan is developed, thereby allowing the patient to have the maximum amount of work done at one time.
The use of anesthesia is dentistry is not new. The discovery of anesthesia is attributed to a dentist, Dr. Horace Wells, at Massachuetts General Hospital in 1845. The demonstration was an extraction of a tooth using nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. The patient reported that although he felt the pressure of the procedure, no pain was felt. Thus began the investigation into what has become the specialty of Anesthesiology.
In modern dental practices, most procedures are performed using local anesthesia. This technique blocks the pain by blocking the nerves to the area being treated. For most of our patients, this works well. However, some patients have had bad experiences as a child or an adult. The patient usually reports that they felt pain even after being numbed.
A second group of patients have medical problems that make dental care very difficult. Patients with hyperactive gag reflexes, tremors, dementia, Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease can all be treated comfortably using sedation dentistry. The third group are pediatric patients who may have either a fear of treatment or an extensive reconstructive treatment plan. These patients are easy to care for with sedation dentistry and they will grow into adults without bad memories of dental care.
For a dental office to offer I.V. and general sedation, they must meet standards of the California State Dental Board. These requirements specify minimum training for the dentist and staff. This also includes an office inspection for safety equipment and emergency preparedness.
Dr. Wyndhamsmith is both a medical doctor and dentist. He is a graduate of the U.S.C. Keek School of Medicine and the University of the Pacific Dental School. His is Board Certified in Anesthesiology and routinely provides care in dental offices.
For further information, you can contact Dr. Wyndhamsmith in the Valencia office at 661-291-1412.