Anesthesia and Sedation at Bellevue Overlake Dental

Different Ways to Block Pain

The choice of the right type of anesthesia and sedation for you will depend on several factors. Your dentist and you will agree on the particular treatment procedure you need, your level of apprehension will have to be considered, as well as history of allergies and your overall health.

Sedation methods come in various forms and strengths. One form is via inhalation, such as nitrous oxide gas, while there are also oral drugs and injectable sedatives. They can provide mild to moderate or deep sedation depending on the dental treatment employed. Sedatives can be administered before or during a procedure. You are actually conscious with mild or moderate sedation and can respond but maybe not speak.

Together with an anesthetic to block the pain, you are just more relaxed, more comfortable, and your recovery would be quick and easy. But if your treatment is complex and lengthy, deep sedation would be necessary.

Local anesthesia comes in injectable form. It aims to numb the area the dentist is going to work on by blocking the pain signals of the nerves therein. Sometimes, you might even request for topical anesthesia, which is an ointment applied to the area so you don’t feel the pain where the needle is to be injected. You are fully awake and able to respond under local anesthetics. On the other hand, there are situations that might merit using general anesthesia where there is total absence of consciousness during a procedure.

Painless Dentistry in Bellevue

Overlake Dental in Bellevue offers different forms of sedation and anesthesia for pain numbing in our various dental procedures. Our methods are safe and effective and performed by certified and qualified practitioners. While we strive to achieve excellent treatment outcomes, we do this with our
patients’ overall comfort and well-being in a stress-free environment.

Bellevue Overlake Dental: An Awesome Experience

Why you should choose us

Sometimes a dental office visit can be a very unpleasant experience in spite of the clinic’s good intentions. You come in for treatment and all your senses open up to even the slightest discomfort. We totally understand that.

Here at Overlake, you might say that we bring ‘friendly’ to a whole new level of experience. Our dentist and staff are very people-oriented; all who come through our doors are treated as family. We always ask how you feel, if there is any discomfort, fear, or concern that need to be addressed. We also are great listeners, believing that what you have to say matters.

Our treatments are personalized, seeing that outcomes fit your personality, your lifestyle, and contribute to your overall oral health. We use high-end tech instrumentations and equipment to deliver sound and time-saving solutions in the treatment of choice. Whenever indicated and as much as it is possible, we resort to minimally-invasive methods, saving viable structures and preserving the natural look of teeth.

We value your time and see to it that we work within the period it takes to deliver the service. No time is wasted from the moment you walk in for your appointment, no unplanned treatment, and no unnecessary expense. We provide the New Patient Kit for new customers to streamline the initial process and prepare us both for our engagement.

Bellevue Overlake Dental

We invite you to come to Overlake Dental and see what our rave reviews are all about. Have a great experience with us. Rest assured that we deliver quality, professional service and continue to do so in our neighborhood.

Pregnancy and Oral Care

Is it Safe?

Yes, it is safe. It’s not only safe, but highly recommended.

If you’re pregnant, your hormone levels are elevated during a pregnancy and as such you become highly prone to gum infections. Gums tend to be sensitive to irritation and sometimes will swell or bleed. So, preventive dentistry is really necessary to keep teeth and gums in top performing condition even while you are pregnant.

Be sure to keep regular dental appointments so your dentist can keep track of your oral status and forewarn you about unfavorable habits you might have acquired that are detrimental to you and your baby. Your dentist can also spot beginnings of decay or infection that can be addressed immediately.

When it comes to dental work like cavity fillings and extractions, which may be necessary to keep infection at bay, those can be done safely. However, cosmetic treatments and other multi-visit treatments are better deferred until after delivery. The second trimester will be most ideal for any dental work, while any work done in the third trimester will make lying on one’s back too long highly uncomfortable.

Advice from your Bellevue Dentist

Your Bellevue dentist is well aware about the needs of this particular population of patients. Because of your delicate situation, he understands which treatments are necessary. He will allay your concerns about safety, keep your treatments precise and short, limit X-ray exposures if done at all, use as little anesthesia as can be allowed, and prescribe the safest antibiotics for the pregnant user.

Does Baking Soda Work as a Toothpaste?

There are some people who like to use baking soda instead of toothpaste, mixture of toothpaste and baking soda, or even toothpaste that has baking soda. But is this a viable substitute? Granted, since certain toothpastes will make a big deal out of advertising that they contain baking soda, it can be easy to assume that it would be perfectly acceptable for use on your teeth.

However, the truth is not so simple.

It is true that baking soda can give you many of the benefits you need from a toothpaste. It neutralizes the acids that break down your enamel, it kills bacteria, and it is abrasive enough to scrub away harmful plaque. The problem is that pure baking soda can be too abrasive, and inflict damage upon your sensitive gum tissues. Meanwhile, without a proper fluoride toothpaste, you are unable to rebuild your enamel as well.

A baking soda toothpaste is able to dilute the abrasive nature of baking soda to manageable levels. People appreciate such products for the fresh minty feeling they leave you with. For more information on choosing a good toothpaste, talk to our dentist at our Bellevue dentistry clinic.

Toothaches and Aspirin

There is a myth floating around that you can ease a toothache by placing an aspirin next to it. However, our Bellevue dentist advises that this is not a wise course of action. Not only will this not mitigate your pain, but you are in fact only making your problem worse.

A toothache generally results from an inflammation of the pulp inside the tooth, which is thereby crowded by the unmovable shell that makes up the rest of the tooth. An anti-inflammatory drug can ease the pain, but only if you swallow it and allow it to make its way to the afflicted tissues through the bloodstream. As an aspirin is acidic, merely holding one in your mouth is further contributing to the breakdown of your gums and enamel, exactly as if you were holding a sugary candy by your tooth.

When your tooth is hurting, swallow the aspirin, ice the area or rinsing your mouth with warm salt water can ease gum swelling. If you have concerns, please call Overlake Family Dental as soon as possible.