Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about overcoming dental anxiety.
Use toothpaste with fluoride for infants and children
For children younger than 3 years, you should begin brushing a child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste in an amount no larger than a grain of rice. For children 3 to 6 years of age, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Consider sealants to prevent decay or treat beginning cavities on the back teeth
Dental sealants act as a barrier to prevent cavities. They are a plastic material applied by a dentist to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay occurs most often.
To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.
If the thought of seeing your dentist gives you chills every six months, an anesthetic may be the solution. Sedation dentistry uses a combination of techniques, ranging from nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" to general anesthesia, to relax a patient during surgeries or otherwise uncomfortable appointments. For even the most severe dental phobias, there is no longer a reason to avoid the dentist altogether.
Settings that Practice Anti-Anxiety
The dental office has long been the most common setting for routine dental procedures that use sedation and anti-anxiety techniques. These techniques can be used for any type of dental procedure depending on the needs of the patient. Ultimately, your fears and phobias can be managed so that you can receive the dental care you require no matter where the treatment takes place.
Are You a Candidate for Sedation?
Your overall health, as well as physical and mental conditions you may be battling at the time, are important to be able to safely undergo certain types of sedation ñ especially in the dental office. Certain of these conditions may require clearance from a physician: cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases should all be addressed prior to a given type of sedation. Your dentist will take a thorough medical history and physical assessment before proceeding, and if need be, recommend a product like Colgate® Total® Advanced Deep Clean to get home care on the right track. He or she may also ask you to receive medical clearance from your physician.
To read the entire article written by James Burke Fine DMD, please visit Colgate.com
San Diego Smiles
Kurt Christensen, DDS - Steven Krause, DDS, MAGD
337 West Madison Avenue
El Cajon, CA 92020
Phone: (619) 442-8841
Website: www.SDSmileStudio.com
Learn more about what the American Dental Association has to say about overcoming dental anxiety.
Are
You Nervous or Fearful 
About Your Dental Visit? You Won’t Be Anymore!
You may be one of the many who stay away from dental offices
because of the fear and anxiety from a dentist’s drills,
needles, and treatments that take too long. But now, you can say
goodbye to such an anxious experience as we offer you conscious
sedation dentistry. It is easy and effective. One hour before
your appointment you take a pill we have previously given you.
When you arrive for your appointment, you will feel quite
relaxed. As you sit in the dental chair, progressively you will
reach a deeper level of sedation where you are still conscious
and able to answer questions asked by the doctor. Throughout
your treatment, you are monitored. When your procedure is
completed, someone will need to drive you home and in just an
hour, you will be back to your normal alertness.
Your level of sedation is less than what is required for
surgery. This alternative is for fearful patients – not just
fear of dentistry but fear of being unconscious and letting go
of control. But conscious sedation lets you be aware of what’s
happening without the anxiety or fear of treatment.
We also offer this type of sedation for those who cannot get
numb with anesthesia or for those who do not have time for
repeated visits to the dentist and would like more work done in
a longer appointment. Another alternative for some patients is
nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to take care of problems in just
one visit!
East County Dental Studio
Kurt Christensen, DDS - Steven Krause, DDS, MAGD
337 West Madison Avenue
El Cajon, CA 92020
Phone: (619) 442-8841
Website: www.SanDiegoSmileMakeover.com
