dental anxiety Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Is Fluoride Bad For My Brain?

Posted on February 12, 2024 by writeradmin.

I recently read an article online that said that fluoride has been classified as a neurotoxin. I’m going to be honest and say up front that I have never been completely comfortable at the dentist. Because of that, you may think I am looking for an excuse to stay away from the dentist but I am truly concerned about this. I don’t want to use anything that is bad for my brain. Because I only go to the dentist every few years, he always insists on fluoride and I’m worried I’ve been causing irreparable harm.

Jenesis

Dear Jenesis,

I’m glad you wrote. I came across a similar article about seven years ago by Uncommon Wisdom Daily (an online magazine). The article by Brad Hoppman was titled, “Fluoride Classified as a Neurotoxin.” I wasn’t sure if it was trying to promote an agenda or just sensationalize something in order to get clicks. What I do know is that there was a tremendous amount of misinformation packed into that article.

It starts off with this attention grabbing claim: “The world’s oldest and most-prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, has officially classified fluoride as a neurotoxin. This puts fluoride in the same category as arsenic, lead and mercury.” After examining the study they referenced, there were some glaring problems.

You may not have heard of the Lancet, but I bet you have heard of the New England Journal of Medicine. Guess which one is the most prestigious medical journal. Hint: It isn’t The Lancet.

Another thing they said is that The Lancet classified Fluoride as a Neurotoxin. The Lancet cannot do that. They are not an authority that classifies these type of things. All they can do is print information about scientific studies.

The way they described the classification is misleading. There is a difference in a neurotoxin and a developmental neurotoxin. Here I’ll give the author of this article the benefit of the doubt that he does not have enough of a scientific background to understand the difference. However, he should apply due diligence and check with scientists who do.

A Neurotoxin Versus a Developmental Neurotoxin

A developmental neurotoxin only has an impact on developing fetuses, which are much more sensitive to substances as adults and even young children.

The study referenced did not actually study fluoride. It studied the IQs of a subgroup of chinese children. Those Chinese children who resided in areas with high fluoride concentrations had lower IQs than those with normal concentration areas. Here is the problem with that. There could have been any number of factors contributing to that. Was the area a less educated area where there might naturally be lower IQs? Could there have been other chemical or sociological contributors to those results? Let’s say that high levels of fluoride does have an impact, the author did not differentiate between high levels and normal levels. Instead, he painted them both with the same brush.

The results of the study simply concluded that more research was needed.

Dealing With Your Dental Anxiety

I wanted to address your dental anxiety. You are not alone in dealing with that. I want you to try a dentist who offers nitrous oxide. This has been dubbed laughing gas because it gives you a relaxed floaty feeling. It is administered by a nosepiece so it is gentle. You’ll be relaxed, they’ll do the procedure, and then they’ll change the nitrous to oxygen. Then you can go on with your day in any way you please.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Sensitivity to Novocain

Posted on December 23, 2023 by writeradmin.

I am about to have porcelain veneers placed. However, I’m worried about the numbing medication. I’m sensitive to any type of drug that can make my heart race. Last week, a friend of mine said that when they did the medicine for her porcelain veneers that her heart raced like crazy and her hands shook after they applied a topical agent with epinephrine in it. I am quite concerned about this and wonder if there is a way to avoid this.

Callie

Dear Callie,

What your friend experienced was much more likely due to a form of dental anxiety. Not all mixtures of Novocain contains epinephrine, but even if hers did I do not think that is what caused her to shake. The epinephrine in the medication would be less than what her body would produce if she was anxious. Dental fear can not only ramp up your body’s response, but increases your metabolism which weakens the effectiveness of the numbing medication.

My suggestion would be for you to have your cosmetic dentist give you some nitrous oxide before your porcelain veneers procedure. This is a very mild form of sedative that will relax you enough to keep your body’s epinephrine response in check as well as lessen your sensitivity. You simply breathe in the nitrous oxide through a small nosepiece.

The benefit of this type of dental sedation is that you are able to get on with your day as normal. Once your procedure is completed, the dentist simply switches your nitrous to oxygen and in just a couple of minutes you are completely back to normal.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Can I Have Dental Sedation for a “Simple” Cleaning?

Posted on November 25, 2022 by writeradmin.

I have a very hard time with going to the dentist. I spend a minimum of two weeks before the appointment violently ill from nerves. I get through it, but usually lose 5 pounds from the stress, vomiting, and inability to eat. A friend told me that she uses dental sedation whenever she has to have work done and it helps her to sleep through the appointment. I was wondering, if I don’t need anything major done, like my friend, would I be able to have sedation done just to have a cleaning? I know it sounds silly, but I do have a hard time going through this.

Becky

Dear Becky,

You are not alone in your dental anxiety. Many patients suffer, so please don’t feel silly or alone. That being said, I am sorry for the anxiety you have gone through all these years just to keep up with your oral hygiene. It must be miserable and says a lot about your commitment to your oral health.

The short answer to your questions is “yes”. You can have dental sedation for just a cleaning, especially given what you go through. Choosing which type of sedation will be the key to a pleasant experience for you. For a cleaning, I would start with nitrous oxide. This used to be called laughing gas because it gives you a floaty feeling. It is administered with a nosepiece and you just breathe it in. It’s designed to relax you.Though, it has the additional benefit of allowing you to get on with your day as soon as your procedure is over. Your dentist will simply switch the gas from nitrous to oxygen and you are back to normal.

If you find that isn’t enough for you, though I think it will be, you could look for a dentist who offers oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill. Though, it is so strong that you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment, as well as stay with you for a few hours while you get lucid and steady on your feet again. It can be a bit inconvenient unless you need a lot of work, which is why I suggest starting with the nitrous oxide.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Will Dental Sedation Remove Memories?

Posted on September 21, 2022 by writeradmin.

I want to get some dental work done, but I get very anxious. I’ve been told dental sedation is a good solution for that. However, someone told me that I won’t remember the appointment. I think they meant that as a good thing, but to be honest that scared me even more. I don’t want to not know what happens to me. Is there a way to get medicine to relax me that will keep my memory intact?

Lillie

Dear Lillie,

You have a couple of options here. First, there are different types of dental sedation. The lightest is nitrous oxide. This does not cause any memory loss. It is administered by breathing through a nosepiece. It is strong enough to relax you but not cause you to lose your memories. Once your procedure is done, the dentist will switch from nitrous to oxygen. This will ensure you are completely lucid before you leave the office and you’ll be able to get on with your day as normal.

A second, stronger type of dental sedation is done with oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill. However, the strength requires that you have someone drive to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours afterward until you are lucid and steady on your feet again. Be aware that not all dentists offer this option. Nitrous, on the other hand, can be gotten from almost any dentist.

Obviously, given your concerns, you would want to try the lightest form of sedation. However, if your anxiety is so high that nitrous isn’t as effective as you’d like, you will be better off with the oral conscious sedation. Because you are worried about memories, you could always talk to the dentist about your concerns. I am certain he would allow someone to join you in the operatory so you can feel safe and secure.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Dealing with a High Tolerance to Novocaine

Posted on May 10, 2022 by writeradmin.

I am only in my mid-twenties but have a big problem with dental visits. My body has a super high tolerance to Novocaine, which has made all my dental appointments a bit of a nightmare. Is there any solution to this? Maybe a different type of numbing medication? My smile is important to me. I’ve only been able to tolerate so much dental work at a time because of the pain, but I’d like to be able to get it all done. My dentist is baffled so I am hoping maybe you have had a patient or two with this problem and have a solution.

Cathy

Dear Cathy,

I am glad you wrote. I have encountered this with patients and have a great solution for you. Believe it or not, the problem is not the numbing medication. Instead, it is because you are suffering from dental anxiety. This is not at all surprising given that you have had to endure so many painful appointments. I’m quite impressed that you keep going back. It is obvious you care about your dental health.

What you need to make the numbing medication work is a bit of medication to relax you before the Novocaine is administered. When someone has anxiety, it causes your metabolism to burn off the Novocain much quicker. You need a dentist who offers Nitrous Oxide. This is a simple gas that is provided to you through a nosepiece, as in the picture above. This medication is also known as laughing gas, not because it makes you laugh but because it gives a relaxed, floaty feeling. Because you are relaxed, you will find that the Novocaine is finally able to do its job.

Many patients have found this simple step has changed their life. They are finally able to catch up on all that work they’ve needed done but couldn’t tolerate.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Should I Have an Oral Surgeon Do This Extraction?

Posted on March 4, 2022 by writeradmin.

Two years ago, I had a filling come out. I do have a substantial fear of the dentist. I didn’t do anything about it. Eventually, the tooth became infected, which I guess I should have expected. Then, when I could bear the pain no longer I went to see a dentist. He told me I needed a root canal treatment, which I did. However, I didn’t follow up and schedule an appointment to get the dental crown. Neither did the dentist, which suited me just fine. After a bit, the tooth broke and now it is infected again. I just need to get it extracted at this point. Should I go to an oral surgeon so I can be put under anesthesia?

Laurence

Dear Laurence,

I am sorry for all the pain and trauma you have experienced. While you can go to an oral surgeon, not only is it expensive, but it is completely unnecessary. In addition, it will only solve your problem in the short term. Dental anxiety can get very expensive. The good news is I have a great solution for you. What you need to find is a sedation dentist.

In most cases, just some nitrous oxide before your treatment is enough to relax you. This will definitely suit you for your normal maintenance. However, in your situation, including the level of anxiety and the invasive nature of your procedure, I am going to suggest you see someone who offers oral conscious sedation. This is administered with a pill but is strong enough that you likely sleep through your procedure. Some patients even call it sleep dentistry. This will allow you to get your tooth extracted at a fraction of the cost.

Even better, you will finally be able to have a pain-free dental appointment. This is a life changer for many patients who suffer from dental anxiety. You’ll find that you’ll save a lot of money and pain in the future as well. Knowing you can have a pain-free appointment will make it easier for you to go on a regular basis. Maintained teeth do not get as many cavities. Treating cavities early is cheaper than a crown. A crown is cheaper than a root canal treatment. A root canal treatment is cheaper than a tooth extraction.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Did this Dentist Mess Up Completely?

Posted on August 21, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have a problem but am not certain if I can trust my dentist at this point. I needed a tooth extraction. I was nervous about it to begin with. It took over fourteen shots for him to get me numb. How can someone miss the spot so many times? Now, it’s been several days since the procedure and this sharp ridge has shown up around the area. It is very uncomfortable to eat or drink in that area. Did he mess something up?

MaryEllis

Dear MaryEllis,

I am sorry you had such an awful appointment. That kind of experience can cause you to be nervous to see any dentist, not just the one who gave you the bad experience. Let’s start with that. I don’t think that he missed the spot continually. Instead, he probably is unaware of the connection between anxiety and numbing medication. If you are anxious going into an appointment, it can have the effect of causing your numbing medication to be ineffective. Then, when it didn’t work, your body’s anxiety amped up making it harder and harder every time to get numb.

The good news is there is a solution. Relaxing you before your appointment will bring down your anxiety and allow your numbing medication to work. Look for a dentist who offers something like nitrous oxide. Sometimes, they will advertise themselves on the internet as a “cater to cowards” dentist. It doesn’t mean you are a coward. It is a way to signal that they know how to take away your anxiety.

As to the bony ridge. This is quite common and part of the healing process. Whenever a tooth is removed, the extraction site will have a sharp edge to it. The swelling that occurs immediately after your extraction tends to hide the ridge. As the swelling recedes, this is what shows up. If it remains a problem, your dentist can either clip it or smooth it out.

I know you’ve lost some confidence in him, but in this case I’d say let him help.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Dr. Drake and Wallace.

Why Doesn’t Novocaine Work for Me?

Posted on July 18, 2021 by writeradmin.

I need some advice. I have found that the Novocaine dentists give does not work for me. It really doesn’t matter how many shots they give me. I had one dentist try as many as seven. It’s not an allergic reaction. The medicine is simply ineffective. As you can imagine. This has made my dental care an agonizing experience. I am curious if this is unique to me or if you’ve seen other patients with a similar issue. If the latter, did you find a solution for them or do they just have to suck it up. While I do have a high pain tolerance, I do tend to avoid the dentist as a result of this and only see the dentist on an emergency basis.

Katherine

Dear Katherine,

Wow! I will say up front that you are brave. I love how you are plugging through trying to find solutions when dental work causes you so much pain. I have good news for you. I believe I know not only what you are dealing with but how to fix it as well. There has been some data connecting dental anxiety with the inability for local anesthetics, such as Novocaine, to work on patients. Given your experiences, I am not surprised if you have not just some dental anxiety, but massive anxiety. This is only natural.

The key to solving this is a medication you can take before your dental work. You will need to find what is sometimes called a sedation dentist. They don’t really “knock you out” as you would get with anesthesia in the hospital. Instead, they provide some type of dental medicine such as nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation. In your case, at least in the beginning, I am going to suggest oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill. It is one strong pill, though. You will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours afterward until you are lucid and steady on your feet again.

The pill completely relaxes you, hence the need to have someone help you around. In fact, patients using oral conscious sedation are usually so relaxed they end up sleeping through their entire appointment. Because of that, your body is able to process the Novocain properly and you end up with a relaxing, pain-free dental experience.

The side benefit of this is you will be able to get more work done in each appointment. This will allow you to catch up on your work more quickly. Plus, you will likely not be dealing with emergency dental care anymore!

Once you’ve had a few good experiences under your belt, you may not even need a sedation dentist anymore and just some simple nitrous oxide will be enough. With that, you won’t need a driver or babysitter.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Dr. Drake and Wallace.

Teeth Whitening Tips

Posted on July 11, 2021 by writeradmin.

A couple of years ago I bleached my teeth. I really love them, but of course, over a two-year period they have picked up some stains. I need to get a crown on one of my teeth but would like to touch up their color before I get my dental crown so the color is what I want. I asked my dentist if there is a specific length of time I need to do it, but he could not really steer me in the right direction there. I saw on your website that you do teeth whitening. Can you give me some guidance?

Toni

Dear Toni,

I can give you some general guidelines here. I am a little concerned your dentist could not. As a precaution, I’d like you to ask to see before and after pictures of dental crowns he’s done, especially those on front teeth. Make sure he can match them in a way that looks both beautiful and natural. It might help to make sure they are not stock photos as well. They need to be photos of work he has actually done. If you are comfortable with the results he’s achieved then you are safe to move forward. If you are not, I’d look for a different dentist to do this.

General Tips on Teeth Whitening

The first thing to know is that the longer you can wear the whitening gel, the faster you will whiten. Many people will wear their teeth whitening trays overnight giving them maximum whitening with little inconvenience. That being said, some people have more sensitive teeth than others. If you are in that situation, try to strive for a minimum of 20 minutes per day. The trays your dentist can provide you (pictured above) are discreet enough that you can whiten your teeth while you go about your errands or housecleaning.

The second thing to know is keep at it until you reach the level of whitening you want. there is not a quantitative way to gauge that because each person whitens for different amounts of time each day. Plus, they have different current staining levels as well as goals for their teeth.

The last thing to know is the easiest and only real hard and fast rule. You want to give one week between the time you finish whitening and getting your crown. This is because there will still be some oxygen released in your teeth that will continue to whiten them a little for that length of time.

I hope this helped you.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.
We cater to anxious patients.

Sudden Pain with Teeth Bleaching

Posted on March 3, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve been doing at-home teeth whitening for a bit and everything was going fine until a couple of days ago. I had a sudden sharp pain. It only lasts for a few seconds and then eases up. It always happens right where I have some old dental bonding done. Does this mean the whitening is weakening the bonding?

Barry

Dear Barry,

I don’t think your teeth whitening is damaging the bonding. Teeth whitening has always been safe for bonded teeth. My suspicion is you have some old bonding that came off and there is an exposed part of the tooth there.

Hopefully, you are under the care of a dentist while doing your teeth whitening. That is important, especially for when these unexpected complications happen. In your position, I would simply ask your dentist to look over the bonding and see if there is an exposed bit. He or she can cover it back with some bonding.

I want to make sure you are aware of the limitations of teeth whitening. Hopefully, your dentist let you know that, while your bonding will not be damaged by the teeth whitening, it will not whiten the bonding either. Once you reach the level of whiteness you want for your teeth, give it a week for the color to settle and then have your dentist re-do your dental bonding to match the new color.

I’m also going to suggest that you invest in some Supersmile Toothpaste. It is the best toothpaste for keeping teeth white and is specifically designed for people who’ve had dental work done on their smiles. Unlike almost all whitening toothpaste, it has no abrasives at all.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.
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