Why do we offer sedation dentistry? We believe gentle and affordable dental care is extremely important for everyone to receive. Providing good routine dental care is one of the best ways we can provide affordable dental care. Almost all dental problems can be prevented with proper at-home care and regular cleanings and check-ups.

We also understand that a large number of people in Arizona don’t go to the dentist until they have a big, painful problem because of their dental fear: and big, painful problems are often more expensive to fix.

Tempe Dental Care offers sedation dentistry because it’s another way we can help our patients feel comfortable while they receive the treatment and care they need. Dental anxiety is typically caused by a previous bad dental experience with another dentist: we know that we’re not the cause of your dental anxiety and we want to do everything we can to be sure that you are comfortable and have the most enjoyable (or at least, the most painless) experience possible.

With sedation dentistry we can provide you with the best dental experience possible, whether it’s to fix a big problem or to provide a regular cleaning and exam without anxiety.

If you have any dental anxiety, it’s completely understandable that you may have avoided your dentist for quite some time. If you are currently having dental problems, the first step you need to take is to fix the problem. Sedation dentistry can extremely helpful if it’s been a while since your last dental visit or if you need to have a lot of work done. The best thing you can do is to visit your dentist, let them know about your anxiety, and see what they can do for you. If your current dentist does not offer sedation dentistry as an option, ask him. He may not be able to offer sedation dentistry, but can refer you to another dentist who does.

There are many different types of sedation dentistry available. Most patients benefit the most from oral sedation, with either nitrous oxide or an anti-anxiety medication taken prior to the procedure. The type of sedation dentistry your dentist uses depends on the severity of your dental anxiety and the procedure(s) to be completed.

• Oral Sedation. When your dentist refers to oral sedation, he is typically referring to either inhaling nitrous oxide gas or taking an oral anti-anxiety medication. The pill would be taken either the night before or 30 minutes before the dental procedure. Since oral sedation doesn’t offer pain relief, a local anesthetic may also be administered.
• IV Sedation. IV sedation dentistry will keep you conscious throughout the procedure but, like oral sedation, leave you with little, if any, memory of the procedure. IV sedation dentistry takes the anxiety of the dental procedure away, which can allow you to get a long dental procedure or multiple procedures done at once: without you realizing how much is being done. IV sedation also doesn’t offer pain relief, so a local anesthetic may be administered.

With sedation dentistry, you want to be sure that you trust your dentist. You want to be sure that your dentist is certified in sedation dentistry and that you discuss all risks, benefits, and concerns with him before you start.

The important thing to keep in mind is that with dental care, prevention is key. By following proper dental care (brushing and flossing daily) as well as seeing your dentist every six months, you can prevent most major dental problems.

What most don’t know is that about 30% of Americans have dental anxiety. This anxiety is high enough in many people that they avoid going to the dentist until there is a major problem that must be fixed because it is causing so much pain and discomfort that it interferes with their daily lives. That visit is often uncomfortable and causes so much anxiety that the cycle is continued.

There is a solution. If you have been avoiding going to the dentist because of an anxiety about a procedure that needs to be done or what you think your dentist may say, don’t worry. One of the best advances dentists have is sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry comes in various forms, oral, inhalation, and IV, however, they all offer the same solution: anxiety-free dental care. One of the worst things about dental care is the anxiety that goes with it. Dental anxiety typically arises from a bad past experience – and you typically encounter it with every dentist you see after that bad experience, regardless how gentle and caring they are. Sedation dentistry allows you to get routine cleanings, small procedures, and even big dental procedures completed without anxiety.

So, if you’re having dental anxiety, talk to your dentist. He can help you through your big procedures with sedation dentistry – and once those are completed, you may not need it for routine cleanings that help keep your smile and mouth healthy (and those big scary procedures away).

Sleep dentistry is the same as sedation dentistry. Oral sedation dentistry, is often referred to as sleep dentistry, is where you are given a tranquilizer or anti-anxiety medication prior to your dental visit. This medication relaxes you to the point where you may feel drowsy and be in a “daydream” state of mind. While you are not asleep during your dental procedure, you are extremely relaxed.

This type of oral sedation dentistry allows you to be awake and anxiety-free during your dental procedure. The certified sedation dentist and his team will monitor you closely: while you won’t be unconscious, you will be “distant” from the going-ons of the dental procedures.

Sedation dentistry allows you to get either routine dental care or go through long dental procedures without stress or anxiety. With oral sedation dentistry, it can make long dental procedures seem like only minutes have passed: you don’t realize how much time has lapsed or feel any pain.

If you choose sleep dentistry (oral sedation dentistry), you need to be aware that you will need to be driven to and from the dental office. You should plan to have a caregiver with you through the procedure and up to 4 hours afterwards. If you are unable to have someone drive you, you may want to consider nitrous oxide gas instead of taking an oral pill. Nitrous oxide gas will allow you to recover quickly from your dental procedure and you will be able to drive and function immediately after your dental procedure.

You want to make sure that you discuss all of the available options with your dentist. He or she will know your specific dental care needs and will be able to help you assess what treatment plans will be best for your situation. Plus, since dental insurance coverage varies, his office will be able to help you identify which sedation dentistry works best for you.

Sedation dentistry is extremely beneficial to anyone who has a fear of going to the dentist. Whether you haven’t been to the dentist in years or are delaying dental treatment because of your fear, sedation dentistry can help you receive the dental care you need without stress.

Sedation dentistry comes in various forms. Typically, your dentist will suggest oral sedation, which can come in the form of a tranquilizer, anti-anxiety pill, or nitrous oxide gas. Oral sedation will help you relax but stay conscious. Oral sedation is beneficial for routine dental procedures as well as lengthy procedures since it can make the dental procedure seem like only minutes instead of hours.

IV sedation dentistry can be beneficial if you have a significant fear of the dentist and need to have a lengthy or drastic dental procedure completed. Since you are using IV sedation, there are more risks than with oral sedation dentistry.  You should discuss all of the benefits and risks with your dentist to determine if IV sedation dentistry is right for you.

Prior to getting sedation dentistry, you want to be sure that you ask your dentist all of your questions. Since you will be “out of it” for the procedure, you want to make sure you have all of the information you need before starting the procedure. Plus, you need to make sure you have someone with you to drive you and take care of you after your treatment. Whether you choose oral or IV sedation dentistry, you will be very relaxed and unable to drive for up to 4 hours after your procedure.

Overall, whether you choose oral sedation dentistry or IV sedation dentistry, it can help you relax and receive the dental care you need.

Sedation dentistry uses either oral or IV sedation to produce a relaxing and anxiety-free dental experience. The Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation estimates that approximately 30% of the population avoids either going to the dentist or getting a long procedure done because of dental phobia. This fear prevents people from receiving regular, routine dental care and can put the health and functionality of their mouth and smile at risk.

IV sedation dentistry is often only considered when people are getting impacted wisdom teeth removed. For people who have a significant fear of the dentist or are going to have a long and possibly painful dental procedure done, IV sedation dentistry can be a great benefit. You want to be sure that your dentist is certified in IV sedation before considering it for a procedure. Your dentist is the best person to discuss IV sedation dentistry with, since only your dentist knows your specific situation. If you want to consider IV sedation dentistry but your dentist is not certified or able to provide it, ask him for a referral to another dentist who is.

Oral sedation dentistry is the most common sedation dentistry technique in the US. Your dentist may recommend either a pill, such as a tranquilizer or anti-anxiety medication, or nitrous oxide to help you relax and raise your pain threshold. Local anesthetics may still used to block the pain from the affected teeth and tissues temporarily. These oral medications will help you maintain a very relaxed state of mind but still be conscious for safety and cooperation.

The biggest benefit of sedation dentistry is that it helps patients relax and can make a lengthy dental procedure seem like it only took minutes. With about 30% of the population suffering from some level of dental phobia, sedation dentistry can help these people receive routine dental care as well as lengthy dental procedures.

It’s estimated that about 30% of the population avoids going to the dentist because of dental phobia. This is a huge number of people avoiding cleanings and other dental procedures because of a serious fear, and that fear can’t be underestimated. As a dental office, we’ve heard of people who have gotten physically sick or broken out into hives prior to going to get a procedure done.

If you have a fear of going to the dentist or are putting off a serious procedure because it means hours of dental work, you may want to consider sedation dentistry. Depending on your level of fear or the type of procedure you need to have done, your dentist may want you to consider either oral or IV sedation dentistry.

The dentists at Tempe Dental Care understand the level of fear people can have about going to the dentist and offer sedation dentistry as an option for these patients. Our dentists are proud to be certified in both oral and IV sedation dentistry. If you have delayed going to the dentist because of a dental phobia, give Tempe Dental Care a call. Our gentle and caring dentists will discuss your options with you and see if sedation dentistry is right for you.

Working at a dental office, we hear many things. A huge misconception lies around root canals, and in my experience, most people have a fear of the dentist that stems from a friend’s improperly completed root canal. Read more »

Our Dentistry Because We Care charity dental event was fantastic! We’ll continue to add updates for a while since there is so much great information to get out.

If you didn’t hear about it before, Tempe Dental Care opened it’s office doors on 4/9/10 to 200 people who could not afford dental care. The entire office donated their time to help these people get free top of the line dental care. While care was given on a first come, first served basis, we worked hard to help as many people as we could between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone who attended had an option to choose a free dental cleaning, filling, or extraction.

People started lining up at 5:30 in the morning on Friday: we even had someone drive all the way from Globe, Arizona. The goal of this event was to provide dental care to those who weren’t able to get it otherwise: our Tempe dentists and everyone in the office is very happy we were able to make this possible for people all over Phoenix!

Plus, we were very excited to have ABC 15 out at our offices on Thursday to help us get the word out about our event and their follow up on Friday.

We have many stories, pictures, and even videos we want to share from this event, so we’ll make sure to post them as they get uploaded.

A big thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about our Dentistry Because We Care Event. This is an annual event and this year’s was our most successful so far. Thank you for helping us spread the word!

If you have chipped or stained teeth, or have some imperfections in your smile that you want to fix, dental bonding may be the perfect solution for you. Dental bonding is a procedure where the dentist will bond a tooth colored resin to your tooth with an ultraviolet light. Dental bonding is used to make small cosmetic improvements to your teeth and may be the perfect solution to fix your chipped or stained teeth. Dental bonding is usually faster than other cosmetic procedures, like crowns or veneers, and is less expensive. It typically takes less than an hour per tooth to get a great result.

The use of dental bonding is a decision that is between you and your Phoenix dentist. Some of the reasons you may choose dental bonding are:

• To repair chipped or cracked teeth.
• To improve the appearance of stained or discolored teeth.
• To change the shape of teeth or make the teeth look longer.

Dental bonding is a simple procedure. Your Phoenix dentist will select a shade of resin matches the color of your tooth, will then roughen the surface of your tooth and apply a conditioning liquid to help the bonding material stick to your tooth. The resin in the shade of your tooth is applied, shaped, and smoothed to the perfect shape for your smile and cured with an ultra violet light. This light makes the resin hard and durable. Once the resin has hardened, your dentist will continue to shape and polish it so the tooth with the dental bonding looks perfectly natural in your mouth.

While dental bondings have many advantages, there are also some disadvantages to dental bonding. Some Phoenix dentists find them to be better suited for smaller cosmetic changes and for fixing front teeth, since they are less stain resistant as crowns or veneers. They also don’t last as long or are as strong as crowns and veneers, which can lead to chipping or breaking off after a few years. Typically, dental bondings last between 3 and 10 years before needing to be retouched or replaced.

The decision to use a dental bonding instead of a different cosmetic dental procedure is a decision that is between you and your Phoenix dentist. If you have any questions or concerns, please make sure to ask your dentist or his office staff.