Numb to Novocaine

Before having a tooth drilled into by a dentist, most people are happy to have been injected by a syringe full of painkiller.  The common name for this anesthetic that inhibits pain is “Novocaine.”

Before the use of Novocaine-type products, dentists administered cocaine as a local anesthetic. It helped initially by constricting blood cells the result of which reduced the amount of bleeding during oral procedures. The downside, of course, was that the drug proved to be exceedingly addictive creating the need for replacement anesthetic.

 

Ready Injection (medicine) 

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By the early twentieth century a synthetic form of cocaine was developed that didn’t include the addictive effects of the original drug. This artificial cocaine was called “Procaine,”  however it has gained notoriety by its trade name, “Novocaine.”  Since that time, however, stronger forms of the anesthetic have been developed giving us such drugs as “Lidocaine,” “Mepivocaine,” and “Septacaine,” though each of these drugs is still referred to as Novocaine.

All of these drugs which are administered through injection work in the same fashion by blocking the nerves that transmit the pain signals to the brain, and in the process create the lack of feeling, or numbness associated with this drug. Typically an injection of this anesthetic lasts between 3 and 4 hours.

Many find the injection itself a bit painful (though compared to the pain they might experience during a dental procedure it is considerably small), however, dentists have made even this more endurable. A topical anesthesia is usually administered in the area where the injection will be given to even deaden this sensation making dentistry about as painless as possible.

 

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Dental School…No Easy Feat

You have heard that dentists have it easy. You’ve heard that they don’t have to go to school as long as other doctors, and they make a ton of money. The reality, though, is that dentists don’t have it as easy as you always thought. In fact, dental school can be more of a pain than your last dental appointment!

First, you have to get accepted into a dental master degree program. To do this, you generally have to have had decent to good grades in your undergraduate program. Now, it’s not impossible to get into a dental program – far from it. But if you had a hard time getting average grades in your undergraduate program, you may not have an easy time getting into your master’s program.

Just like if you were going to medical school to be a surgeon or family practice doctor, you have to pass the board exams to graduate. In fact, you have to pass them twice – generally after your second and fourth years of dental school. Along with this, you will have to take many of the same classes as other doctors, like anatomy, biology, and medical terminology.

Many people say that even though it is tough getting into dental school, it is just the beginning. The really hard part is getting a degree. If you put your mind to it, study hard, and know that this is what you want to do, you will make it through dental school. If you are going because it’s the easy way to go, you are going to be sorely mistaken.

 

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Are you frightened of Dentists?

Oral health always relies on pro-action and not reaction. Reaction is on most times just to control the damage. Dental care is often an overlooked aspect of overall fitness. People are not convinced on taking regular oral check-ups.

A visit to the dentist is sometimes at a point when the situation is really bad. Some people are so scared of dentists that they take medications than hear the dreaded word ‘extraction’ from the dentist. People who are scared of dentists might have had painful experiences from inexperienced dentists. But not all dentists are inexperienced.

An important thing to consider before going for a dental checkup is to go to a renowned dentist. Base your assessments on the feedback you receive from people who have visited this dentist before. People always have unanimous feedback about dentists. It would not vary much, so you can safely rely on word-of-mouth.

Even if you do not have a recommendation, you can use the following indicators to determine the quality of a dentist.
• The dentist will have a calm, caring and patient disposition

• The dentist will listen to you even if what you are saying is something that the dentist has heard a million times• The dentist understands that you have the right to undergo a painless treatment, and makes every effort to make the procedure as painless as possible

• Is a highly qualified and recommended practitioner

The above are just some of the qualities of a good dentist. A good dentist might much more qualities than the above-mentioned ones.

Good dentists make life comfortable for the patient by explaining to them the procedures. The patient will feel much relief after hearing this, and will be mentally prepared for it. When the procedure is unknown the patient will feel more anxiety over the dentist’s actions.

A dentist should also build a friendship with patients. This helps patients overcome fear of pain.

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Reducing The Fear of Our Dentists

Dentists have occasionally been stigmatized with fear in some patients. While it’s normal to be afraid of the unknown, chances are we’ve been to our dental office countless times growing up. Some of us might want to change dental offices entirely but we shouldn’t do that needlessly. There are some things that can be done to help combat and untimely fight or flight response.

Many of us can get ourselves extremely uncomfortable prior to setting foot into the waiting room. Perhaps the idea of having anyone (even medical professionals) to explore our mouths for cavities and gum disease is enough reason for some alarm. Try chewing gum to take your mind off the stress. It will allow you to burn a few calories and get your salivary glands in working order while you wait for your appointment.

This may sound unusual, but don’t keep canceling your dental visit. Fear itself is not a reason to ditch your appointment. It will only delay the inevitable and whether we like it or not we need to have our teeth checked. Frankly, the more we stall for time the longer our teeth can remain in worse condition. Dentists will probably have more work to do. Consequently, a patient’s anxiety level can increase.

If your hands are shaking, maybe it’s time to stop visiting the café for your daily caffeine fix. Caffeine not only causes the heart rate to rise but it can make people feel more nervous than usual. In women caffeine interacts with estrogen levels and causes the “need” for more caffeine consumption each time.

That herbal mint tea that you’ve been saving in the pantry can be put to use prior to leaving the house. Have a cup or two. Herbal tea will refresh the mouth but it’s also a systemic relaxant. Remember that dentists don’t want their patients to be nervous and would like us to have a comfortable visit. Don’t worry and smile instead.



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Good Health Care: Where it Begins

It’s often thought that our health care in general is limited to the government and the customer service representatives offering the various medical plans. However, there may be more that we can do personally than meets the eye. Believe it or not, it may begin with our dental habits.

Some of us might not be aware that certain diseases can worsen within an unkempt mouth. The plaque that builds up over time can end up within the cells of the blood stream and cause circulatory difficulties. Therefore, people can have complications from heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Although plaque buildup doesn’t cause these diseases, it can aggravate symptoms or cause problems earlier on. For these reasons, it’s even more crucial than we originally might have thought to brush and floss regularly.

Some of us think antiseptic mouthwashes are taking up needless space at our local supermarkets. In actuality, our toothbrushes can only reach so far whether it’s a manual toothbrush or electric. The same is true for flossing so remember to reach for that familiar blue or green-hued potion. With a quick daily swish, plaque won’t harm our systems. It won’t save the world but it can help us to keep our choppers. If you’d like to reach for the dentures earlier, that’s up to you. Most of us would rather not entertain that thought whatsoever.

Many dental offices have been offering annual oral cancer screenings since 2005 to help prevent difficulties that can go unnoticed in health care. If you brush and blood can be found on the toothbrush it may be caused by strenuous brushing, the early signs of gingivitis, oral cancer or you may be recovering from your latest dosage of antibiotics (can weaken immunity). This particular screening test takes approximately five minutes. Don’t forgo an annual dental examination. Phobias aren’t an excuse for avoidance. We’re only human, but we can do our part to increase odds of getting health care coverage.

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Maintaining Good Dental Care

Proper dental care seems like common sense but surprisingly, there are some of us who indubitably lack the ability to avoid dental mishaps in general. Since the late 1980’s the grunge has been synonymous with a musical style, but many of us fail to get rid of the yucky grunge that invades our teeth whether we brush or not.

If we don’t want to look like a human jack-o’-lantern missing some teeth, it’s important to brush with a toothpaste containing fluoride. We may want to shy away from having our teeth scraped by the dentist twice a year, but doing so prevents ongoing discoloration and signs of enamel damage. Let’s not forget that our gums need to be examined for looming periodontal criminals that lurk quietly in the mouth. If x-rays freak some of us out it’s helpful to know that all we need to do is give our best impression. In other words, try to swallow your fear and put your best teeth forward.

In the interim, there are things we can do to avoid cavities and it’s not just brushing at least twice daily that matters. If we can’t brush our teeth, try chewing of a stick of sugarless gum. This helps keep the acidity level normal after eating and can reduce the likelihood of a cavity. Remember to avoid raiding the leftover candy stash that the family forgot about.

Gingivitis (bleeding gums and receding) is relatively easy to prevent and there’s no excuse for laziness when it comes to flossing. The whole process takes about five minutes. Companies manufacture threaders for people with braces and replaceable, individual flossers with long handles for those who can’t reach the back of the mouth.

Additionally, there’s no validated excuse for oral cancer or bad breath, since regular dental care helps to combat these problems from happening in the first place. It’s normal to be uncomfortable at the dentist’s office. Be smart and visit accordingly.

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Fear and Going to the Dentist: What to do

For most of us, it may be true that having a yearly oral examination is little more than a thorough cleaning, quick x-rays and fluoride rinse. The fact remains that going to the dentist is a very frightful experience. Perhaps we view the mouth as a very personal area or it’s merely uncomfortable to have someone squirting water on the tooth surface to cleanse away leftover toothpaste. While we are in the chair we forfeit any semblance of control which makes some people feel quite distressed.

Others might avoid their bi-annual appointments because they might be afraid of what the results could be. People may skip their office visit to continue putting their minds on something else. They may figure that as long as they don’t go, there’s no problem. Maybe there isn’t but if there is a health issue, why not take care of it immediately?

Fear on some level is normal and normalcy cannot be fixed, especially when it comes to human emotion and going to the dentist. All of us have probably been known to be scared of medical visits in general. Common sense should tell us doctors themselves can be wonderful human beings.

A simple remedy to that is to discuss fears with your dentist. Many people can be frightened simply because they may have a strong gag reflex or dislike having water rush to the back of their throats with cleanings. This information will probably kept on file to ensure that a numbing medication is used before a procedure.

Sedation might offer patients some solace when it comes to sitting in the examination chair of their dental office. Many of us get nervous when speaking in public in front of a large group of people, let alone going to their dentist for a checkup. Mild sedatives offer temporary relief from that “tower-of-terror” feeling of having a cavity filled, or even a thorough cleaning. Don’t be afraid to express yourself.

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Finding a Dentist

If you’re like most people, the idea of going to see a dentist twice a year is not a pleasant one. But everyone must get their bi-annual checkup to be sure they’re teeth and gums are healthy, and that they’re not developing any problems that could lead to serious health issues. If it’s been a while since you’ve visited a dentist, you may find that the one you used to see is no longer around. When this happens, it’s time to look for a new dentist.

There are several ways you can find a new dentist in your area. You can check with friends, family, and colleagues to see who they recommend. You can check the Internet for a list of local dentists, then start calling around. You could also use a service that helps you select a dentist based on certain qualifications. Once you decide what route you want to go to begin looking for a dentist, you’ll want to start interviewing prospective dentists to find the one that’s best for you. Put together a list of questions you have about the dentist, and what you’re looking for in a new dentist. You may want to find out if any of the dentists on your list use relaxation methods in their office during procedures, such as allowing you to listen to soft music on a head set while your teeth are being cleaned and examined.

Once you have your list of questions, start interviewing dentists. When you have found a few that are to your liking, you may want to make an appointment for a consultation with the dentists to find out which one you like best. You could also visit the office and talk with the staff about your questions and concerns.

Once you have gone through your process of elimination and have selected the dentist you want to use, make an appointment for your first visit, relax, and meet your new dentist.

 

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Holistic Denistry

Holistic dentists, also known as natural dentists, consider the whole person – mind, body and spirit, plus the person’s lifestyle when planning care and treatment. Holistic dentists do not use metallic colored, amalgam fillings. Like traditional dentists, they have received specialized training appropriate licensing and are medical professionals; they just chose to use a different approach to their medical practice.

Services they provide can include low radiation x-rays, removal and replacement of traditional older fillings, tooth bleaching, cosmetic dental procedures, and more.

Some holistic dentist use alternative therapies such as massage, nutrition, biofeedback and acupuncture in addition to the latest traditional technology. Their practices are often based on using nontoxic, biocompatible, non-mercury dental products.

They focus on the whole body, especially immune system support in conjunction with diet and nutritional recommendations, not just your mouth, teeth, and gums. They are trained in all procedures they provide, or they have a trained professional working with them to provide the service.

According to the information I have read on the subject, holistic dentists treat gum disease and other problems biologically, at the base or root level.

I have never been to a holistic dental clinic, so I don’t know a lot about the pros and cons, but many people prefer more natural medical care for a variety of reasons. Combining the best of natural longstanding traditions with modern technological advances in science should improve your care and dental health.

Ask for information, including the possible and negative results of the therapies they are suggesting for your care. Like any medical professional, they should provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about your care. If you are uncomfortable or unsure if you want or need to have a procedure, always ask for more information, get a second opinion before continuing, or refuse the treatment. In the end, it is your body.

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