Tag senstitive teeth

Hot Weather and Cold Treats

Here in northwest Arkansas, we’ve been setting records daily for high temperatures. This heat, understandably, makes a lot of us crave cold treats like ice cream or snow cones to cool us off. Although refreshing, these snacks can caused heightened tooth sensitivity in some patients. Untreated cavities could be the root of the problem as you might suspect, but one of the major causes could be gum recession brought on by improper brushing. Brushing too vigorously could cause gums to recede, increasing tooth sensitivity. Dentists recommend using a soft bristled tooth brush, or an electric toothbrush with a sensitivity gauge. See the video below to learn what other things can cause your teeth to be sensitive to chilly food items.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

A large segment of the population does not seek proper dental care because of fear. Today there are several options that make dentistry much more comfortable. For years nitrous oxide has been available, which is an analgesic gas that raises the pain threshold and alleviates anxiety. This is a good solution for many patients and the gas is out of the system within just a few minutes of breathing oxygen afterwards, so a designated driver is not necessary after treatment.

Some individuals are reluctant to even just have their teeth cleaned because of fear. For these individuals we have oral medication that can be taken 45 minutes to an hour before their appointment that will alleviate their anxiety. The medication is strong enough to really do an effective job so these patients will need a designated driver after treatment.

If we are going to be doing significant dentistry on an individual who is not comfortable sitting for an extended amount of time or has an extreme fear, IV sedation is available. This is a safe method of sedating the patient so that they will not have an unpleasant memory of the treatment. They will not be unconscious, as with general anesthesia, so there are not extreme dangers associated with this sedation. Patients can still respond and inform us if something is bothering them so that we can respond accordingly.