Sedation

I had to have a tooth extracted. I was not comfortable to begin with about the whole tooth extraction thing. In fact, it was the not being comfortable with the dentist that got me into this situation to begin with. What I can’t figure out is why it took so long for the dentist to get me numb. That was agonizing. Do you know why that happened? Because at this moment, I do not want to go back to the dentist ever again.

Athena

Dear Athena,

I have some good news for you. I think I know exactly what happened. You already had some dental anxiety going in to your dental appointment. That is normal. However, it has the unfortunate side effect of raising your metabolism enough to mess with the efficacy of your numbing medication. Then, when that has trouble, your anxiety goes up, which in turn makes it even harder for your medication to work.

Getting your anxiety under control will change everything. Before you roll your eyes and slam the computer down, know that you don’t have to do that on your own. A sedation dentist can provide you with a medication that can completely relax you. You will be able to sleep through the procedure if you want to. The only downside is that it is so strong that you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours until you are lucid and steady on your feet.

I don’t know what your dentist told you about losing a tooth, but once a tooth is removed, it needs to be replaced. If you don’t close up that space somehow, the other teeth will shift or tip into that space. This will throw off your bite and can lead to TMJ disorder. The best tooth replacement is a dental implant. If that is too expensive there are other options. In fact, your dentist is ethically obligated to give you all of your options.

This blog is brought to you by Naples Dentist Dr. Andrea Cameron.