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HATE the Dentist? Conscious Sedation Dentistry is the Cure!

If you have been hiding your smile out of embarrassment or putting up with pain in your mouth because you are afraid of the dentist, you may be a candidate for conscious sedation, a technique that helps put patients in a relaxed state during dental treatment so that they feel no pain, have a reduced level of anxiety, and forget almost everything that happened during treatment. All they see is a new smile.

Candidates for conscious sedation dentistry are those with:

associated with dental care,

Talk to your dentist to decide if you're a candidate for conscious sedation dentistry.

95 Million Americans Fear the Dentist

With nearly one-third of the population fearful of going to the dentist, the dental profession has made it a priority to find a way to allay those fears.

Dental conscious sedation, also known as “dream” dentistry, has helped thousands of fearful dental patients get the dental treatment they have put off for years, if not decades.

For most patients, the technique involves taking a pill shortly before arriving to the dental office, although some patients receive their sedation in the dental office under carefully monitored conditions. The technique, known as oral conscious sedation, keeps patients in a "semi"-conscious state, allowing them to answer questions and take commands during treatment, but being so relaxed that they feel no pain, no discomfort, have no anxiety, and do not notice the smells, tastes, or noises they usually don't like.

Sedation dentistry can last up to six hours, allowing your dentist to complete many complex procedures, including treatment of gum disease, repair of cracks, chips, cavities, discoloration, and other problems, as well as cosmetic procedures like crowns and veneers. With sedation dentistry, there's no reason for you to be afraid of going to the dentist any more.

When treatment is over, the technique's retrograde amnesiac effect causes patients to forget just about everything that occurred during treatment. What this means is that patients have no recollection of an experience that is normally full of anxiety for them. Instead they just look in the mirror and see their brand, new smile If you or someone you care about is seriously afraid of the dentist and needs dental work completed, find out more about conscious sedation.

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

There has never been a documented report of a serious adverse incident due to the use of oral conscious sedation in adults, according to the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation. The reason is that dentists who offer conscious sedation must complete a high level of training and have plenty of experience with it.

One reason for this outstanding record is that dentists monitor patients' vital signs using a pulse oximeter/blood pressure monitor. The monitor measures blood pressure every five minutes and continuously measures pulse rate and blood oxygen before, during, and after a sedation procedure. All patients must also be accompanied by a companion to and from the dental office.

In addition, dentists are careful to choose sedation medications based on an individual's medical history and any possible drug interactions that may occur, including interactions with herbals and nutritional supplements.

The American Dental Association defines conscious sedation as "a minimally depressed level of consciousness that retains the patient's ability to independently and continuously maintain an airway and respond appropriately to physical stimulation or verbal command and that is produced by a pharmacological and or non-pharmacological method or a combination thereof."

Through the use of conscious sedation dentistry, dental treatments can now be painless and less stressful for patients. In addition, procedures that once took numerous visits can be completed in one or two visits. Talk to your dentist to determine if you're a candidate for conscious sedation dentistry.

More Ways to Relax at the Dental Office?

More dentists are incorporating techniques to make the dental visit as comfortable as possible for their patients. These include not only eliminating pain and fear of the dentist, but inducing such a pleasant atmosphere that patients want to come back for more. These dental boutiques not only include conscious sedation, nitrous oxide, and painlessly injected local anesthesia, but also soothing music with CDs, video goggles, aromatherapy, scented candles, warm blankets, bottled water, and juices. Other dentists have massage chairs and dental assistants who provide paraffin hand dips for patients while they wait. Yet others have gurgling water fountains in reception rooms that look like luxurious hotel lobbies.

The overall effect is one that is inviting and not at all like the dental office of days past. So if you haven't been to the dental office in a while, you are in for a soothing and pleasant surprise.

Are You Happy With Your Smile?

If you're not, you're not the only one. The smile is the most prominent feature of your face, the one other people often notice first or second, right after your eyes. If your teeth are crooked, stained, or missing, other people might form a negative first impression of you within the first 30 seconds. It could take hours or years to reverse that negativity through extensive conversation and noble, selfless deeds. Do you really have that much time with every client?

In the social arena, 94 percent of those polled said they are likely to notice a person's smile when they meet them for the first time. More than one half (71%) believe people with a nice smile make friends more easily. Over one third agree that bad teeth overshadow the rest of a person's appearance. When meeting someone for the first time, an over-whelming majority (85%) agreed that a person's smile is very important.

These results are from a survey conducted by Harris Interactive Inc., of Rochester, New York, most widely known for The Harris Poll and pioneering leadership in online market research. They polled a representative sample of 1,000 American adults, both men and women, between 18 and 50 years of age. The poll explored the importance of smiles in relation to business and careers, as well as dating and marriage, the social arena, and the overall value of smiles and self-esteem.

The All-Important Job Interview Can Hinge on Your Smile

In the business world, appearances count. One college career planning and placement center surveyed 150 employers to discover the number-one reason for rejecting an applicant after the first interview. Of all the possible motives to discount someone for the job, the number one excuse was personal appearance.

Personal appearance includes clothes, posture, clean hands, and a pleasant face. At the center of the face is the smile, the facial feature most interviewers will focus upon as they ask their questions. Poor appearance was ranked even more significant than being a "hostile, overbearing know-it-all" (reason no. 9) or "late for the interview without good reason" (reason no. 28).

In Susan Bixler's best-selling book The Professional Image (Adams Media Corporation), she details a study conducted by the Fairleigh Dickinson University that researched the impact of an effective business appearance on a starting salary. A group of identical resumes were sent to more than a thousand companies with a "before" photo of the applicant or an "after" photo. The results underlined the importance of appearance in the determination of a starting job salary. Starting salaries ranged 8 to 20 percent higher in the "after" group, as the result of upgrading a mediocre business appearance to one that is polished and effective. Apparently employers want their people to look the part--professional, confident, energetic, and loaded with high self-esteem.

A Whiter Smile Can Bring in More Green

Tooth whitening can help most people look better, up to 95 percent of them. It's not mere vanity that makes people seek cosmetic dentistry. Smiles are among the first features anyone, including a job interviewer, notices about you. Within the first 30 seconds, a prospective employer may make a first impression based on your smile regarding your openness, friendliness, honesty, intelligence, and social status. The easiest and fastest way to improve your smile, assuming it is healthy already, is through tooth whitening.

According to the American Dental Association, the number of people bleaching their teeth has increased more than 300 percent in the last four years. Generally, you can have whiten your teeth using one of three methods: in-office bleaching, at-home bleaching, or whitening toothpaste. In-office bleaching has the most dramatic results with your teeth becoming up to eight shades whiter in about an hour.

To put your best foot forward in a job interview, make sure your smile measures up. Consider a variety of cosmetic dental procedures, from teeth whitening to a set of porcelain veneers.