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Sinuses and Your Teeth

If you have an abscessed tooth, and its not hurting too bad, it could be draining in to the sinus, causing chronic sinus irritation. When you look at an x-ray of the upper tooth,  the roots are visible up there and the sinus comes down – usually following a pattern of that root. In other words, the roots are holding that up and when you take the tooth out, there is constant gentle pressure there inside the sinus. The bone reacts to pressure and the bone in the maxilla is softer bone. So it does what we call numatizes that area: the sinus starts enlarging, getting bigger because it is gently pushing that bone and the bone is resorbing (losing substance).

We see a many individuals who, when their teeth are out, have a paper thin bone between the ridge and the sinus. If it’s a denture, then that can be tender all the time when they have sinus problems, and the bone goes away so we don’t have a place to put the implants. If the teeth have been removed and left out for a long time, you can still get implants, but you have to go through a grafting procedure to raise the sinus floor and grow new bone to put implants in. The other thing that is particularly prominent when you have a tooth on the side but the middle teeth are missing, is the sinus comes down and now you have a low spot where the fluids are always sitting. This makes the individual more prone to get infections.

What are some symptoms that may indicate that the sinus problems you are having may be related to your teeth? If you had a tooth taken out and you want to have it replaced you should do it sooner rather than later so that the sinus doesn’t numatize and you don’t require an extra surgery.

Safe, Reputable Sedation Options

In keeping with his reputation as someone who makes his patients feel respected and at ease, Dr. Lais will sit down with you before every procedure for a one-on-one conversation about the ways we can minimize any discomfort and anxiety during treatment.

Sedation is one of the most effective ways to ensure your dental treatment is as painless and stress-free as possible. With his attention to detail and pursuit of excellence, Dr. Lais’ mission is to make you completely relaxed and comfortable while helping you reach and maintain optimum dental health.

We will create a personalized treatment plan that will give you a relaxing and worry-free dental care experience. Here are several of the safe and effective sedation options we can discuss with you during your visit:

NuCalm
NuCalm is a remarkably safe, natural, and effective sedation process for patients undergoing painful dental procedures. It relaxes patients and minimizes pain without the use of narcotics or controlled substances.

Using micro-electronic currents, noise-reducing headphones, and blackout glasses, this revolutionary technology naturally brings your body to the first stage of sleep. With NuCalm, you will feel the same way you do just as you are about to fall asleep, and this feeling will last through the duration of your treatment.

To date, more than 32,400 dental patients across the United States have experienced calm and relaxing dental appointments using NuCalm, all without a single reported adverse experience. 98 percent of patients who have experienced NuCalm say they would recommend it to their friends and family.

Once the dental appointment is completed, you can leave our office immediately with no side effects, no impairments, and no recovery time.  You will leave feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, and you will be able to drive afterwards and continue the rest of the day as normal.

Nitrous Oxide
When using nitrous oxide as a sedative, we will carefully place a fitted mask over your nose. As you breath naturally through your nose, the nitrous oxide’s relaxing and pain-killing properties will take effect within 2-3 minutes, calming you and minimizing discomfort during your procedure.

These effects are completely gone within minutes of the gas being turned off after your treatment. This allows you to relax during your treatment and resume normal activities once your appointment is over.

I.V. Sedation
Dr. Lais is one of the few dentists in the state of Arkansas who is licensed to provide I.V. sedation, which is the safest way to sedate a patient. With I.V. sedation, you will be completely relaxed and calm while still being able to respond normally to questions from Dr. Lais and his staff. This allows years of dental problems to be treated in fewer appointments.

Most patients who choose I.V. sedation do not recall the procedure the next day, making this an excellent option for highly anxious patients. After undergoing I.V. sedation, you will need to have a driver take you home, and Dr. Lais recommends you rest for the duration of the day after being treated.

For those who cannot tolerate any kind of sedation, we have access to a surgery center for general anesthesia. Oral sedation is also available for those who are uncomfortable being attached to an I.V.