Healthy Fluids

Just the thought of visiting a dentist for any dental procedure already paralyzes a lot of people. For some, the dentist's chair is almost equivalent to the electric chair. It is understandable since most dental procedures may cause some sort of discomfort, especially for people with sensitive teeth and low pain tolerance. However, the downside of this is that people would rather bear the pain of a toothache instead of visiting a dentist. This is not a good idea because the more an impacted tooth is ignored, the more damaged it will get. You are just prolonging the agony because you will still end up sitting in the dentist's chair after some time.

Dentists understand these common dilemmas for most people. Thankfully, they have came up with a procedure that can lessen the anxiety a person feels, and help them relax with sedation dentistry.

Sedation is the process of making a person feel calm with the help of a relaxant drug called a sedative. If a person is anxious or scared, his muscles contract, and his glands release certain hormones that make the body hypersensitive to any sensation, noise, and pressure. Using sedative drugs, calms the whole body and the mind so the patient will not feel tense and sensitive during a dental procedure. Certain sedatives have already been developed for dental procedures, and the dentist in Laurel MD on Cherry Lane will decide on how they will administer the sedative drug.

The most common type of sedation dentistry is by oral medication. A Halcion or Valium pill shall be ingested by the patient an hour before the dental procedure. Some dentists opt to have the patient dissolve the pill under the tongue for faster effect. Once the pill takes effect, the patient will feel drowsy or groggy enough to relax but still stay awake. Higher dosages may be given by the dentist depending on the dental procedure that will be done.

Another type of sedation used in dentistry is inhalation of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen, and is inhaled by the patient through a gas mask placed over his nose. This is ideal for dentists because controlling the amount of sedatives is easier compared to oral medication. Another advantage of nitrous oxide inhalation is that it wears off easily so a patient will nott feel any sort of "hangover." The downside, though, is that it is very light so the patient may still feel some sort of pain during the dental procedure.

For extreme cases of anxiety and pain management, a dentist may proceed with an intravenous (IV) sedation or, if really needed, general anaesthesia. A liquid sedative will be injected directly to the patient's vein for instantaneous sedation. Although the dentist can still control the amount of sedatives to be injected, the effect of IV sedation is much longer. A normal person may fall asleep just a few seconds after the IV push, and wake up with slight light-headedness once the sedative wears off.

Before taking any sedative drug, it is important that a person talks to his dentist about possible contraindications that may lessen the effect of the sedative such as smoking, special diets, and allergies. Generally, though, sedatives are safe and harmless, so they are really a big help for people dealing with dental trauma.

Xerostomia, or dry mouth syndrome, is the dry feeling in the mouth due to the reduction of the amount of your saliva. Saliva is vital in cleansing the mouth, and in digesting food. It gives your mouth its much-needed moisture, and it also helps in preventing infection in the mouth by getting rid of its causes, such as fungi and bacteria.

Here are the top causes of dry mouth syndrome:

1. Side effect of certain treatments and medications. There are some medical treatments that can damage the salivary glands that produce saliva. These treatments include anything that involves radiation and chemotherapy.

This can also be due to the side effects of prescription and non-prescription medicines that are intended to treat ailments, such as allergies, acne, depression, Parkinson's disease, and colds. In addition, dry mouth can be experienced as a side effect from taking sedatives and muscle relaxants.

2. Nerve injuries. This can happen as a result of an injury to the nerves in the head and neck areas, which typically follows after undergoing surgery.

3. Dehydration. There are certain conditions that can cause excessive sweating, which can lead to dry mouth. These conditions include fever, vomiting, burns, and diarrhea.

4. Side effect of certain illnesses. You are prone to experience the condition if you are suffering from ailments that include anemia, hypertension, stroke, HIV/AIDS, cystic fibrosis, mumps, and diabetes. This also happens when you are under too much pressure and stress, or when your body is undergoing hormonal changes, such as when you are pregnant or entering the menopausal stage.

5. Vices. The condition can be aggravated by bad lifestyle habits, such as chewing tobacco and smoking. This can also be caused by breathing through your mouth too often or snoring.

6. Removal of the salivary glands through surgery.

Dry mouth syndrome can affect anyone of any age, but it is more common in adults. Everybody experiences its symptoms in varying degrees at some point.

Here are the common symptoms of the condition:

- Your saliva feels thick.

- Your throat is dry, and there is a sticky feeling in the mouth.

- The tongue feels dry due to insufficient amount of saliva in your mouth.

- Foul breath.

- Sore throat.

- Cracked lips.

- Having difficulty in swallowing and talking.

- Infection in the mouth.

What To Do

When the condition is already causing trouble in your everyday life, go to a dental office in Oxon Hill MD, and have it checked. Make sure that you tell your dentist about your health history, which include the treatments you have been through, and medications that you are taking.

When you experience several symptoms at a time, avoid any beverages that contain caffeine and alcohol. Clean your mouth and brush your teeth twice a day, because the condition can speed up the process of tooth decay.