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What Is Dental Sedation and Is It Safe? | Schnecksville Dentist

If you experience a physical reaction to the idea of certain stimuli being triggered by going to the dentist, you may have dental anxiety. Dental anxiety is common among kids and adults alike. Whether someone has had a bad experience at the dentist or not, we all know getting a second opinion could result in a more serious diagnosis. Continue reading to learn if IV Sedation may be right for you.

When dentists perform restorative procedures, there are typically a variety of sedation options available to the individual. The two main ones are nitrous oxide and intravenous (IV) sedation. The inhalation of nitrous allows a patient to relax, but IV sedation can guide the patient into a deeper relaxation and in some cases, lull them to sleep.

The following are benefits to utilizing IV sedation for sleep dentistry.

  • Administration of the drug is provided by a ___ and tailored to the patient’s needs
  • The results of IV sedation are reliable and the most effective means of sedation
  • If you are particularly sensitive to your gag reflex, IV sedation will relax the reaction, but your dentist may recommend nitrous oxide
  • In contrast to general anesthesia, IV sedation is safer and allows you to retain consciousness.
  • Due to the amount of control, your practitioner has with the dosage of IV administered, your recovery time is shorter than with oral sedation.

Remaining consistent with your oral health in your daily life, as well as with regular check-ups, are the best way to avoid unfavorable experiences at the dentist. If you do enter into a restorative process, discuss your concerns with your dentist to see if IV sedation may be right for you.

For more information about dental replacements, call Dr. Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Sandip Ladani proudly serves patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.

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Giving Your Child a Good Night’s Sleep | Schnecksville Dentist

We all want to get a good night’s sleep. It’s imperative to have a functional tomorrow. But what happens when your little one has this issue? How do we fix it? Some need a bedtime story; others enjoy a bit of warm milk or a snuggle. But if your child’s sleep continues to be disrupted, it may be something more serious.

We may think that sleep issues like sleep apnea are issues for adults, but that isn’t the case. Sleep apnea can begin to affect children as young as 3. The most common cause is enlarged tonsils and adenoids, but other causes could be obesity, a tumor in the airway or certain birth defects.

So, what should you look out for as parents? Here are some common symptoms. If you find that your little one demonstrates any of these signs on a regular basis, it may be time to get a sleep study done to diagnose any sleep issues:

  • Loud snoring or noisy breathing (gasping or snorting) during sleep
  • Prolonged pauses in breathing
  • Mouth breathing
  • A nasal voice
  • Restlessness during sleep
  • Too much daytime sleepiness or irritability
  • Hyperactivity during the day
  • Behavioral problems
  • Sleep walking or night terrors
  • Bed wetting
  • Need for a nap past the age of napping
  • Learning problems
  • Morning headaches

If your child is diagnosed with sleep apnea, there are a few ways it can be treated, depending on your child’s condition.

  • Removing their tonsils.
  • Weight loss.
  • A CPAP machine may be needed while your little one sleeps to control the airway.
  • A rapid maxillary expansion device.
  • Inhaled steroids.
  • Keeping your home rid of second hand smoke, allergens and other conditions that may cause the issue to flare up.

For more information about sleep apnea, call Dr. Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Sandip Ladani proudly serve patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.

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Why Do I Wake Up Tired? | Schnecksville Dentist

In order to celebrate World Sleep Day (March 18th), let’s take a look at reasons we may not be getting the best sleep each night. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get an average of 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Of course, we all know that this number increases the younger you are. But here’s the glitch – 80% of us don’t get this minimal amount and wait for weekends to catch up on that lost sleep.

But beyond the hectic vibe of our busy lives, there are some of us that can’t get a solid night’s sleep, even if they tried. This is due to a sleep issue they may have developed, which can be anything from dry mouth to something more serious, like sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep condition that causes you to periodically stop breathing while you sleep, due to a blockage of your airways. There are types of sleep apnea: the most common being obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and the combination of the two – complex sleep apnea syndrome.

Other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • snoring
  • gasping for air during sleep
  • feeling tired after a full night’s sleep
  • trouble staying asleep
  • waking with dry mouth
  • morning headaches

There are times that the sleeper has no idea there is an issue, but those sharing the space may notice. It is important to take these symptoms seriously. Having a sleep study done about your sleep patterns is a great way to diagnose any issues you may be developing while you sleep. Depending on your specific condition, you may require a CPAP machine, a mouthguard or some other option to getting your sleep back on track.

For more information about sleep apnea, call Dr. Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Sandip Ladani proudly serve patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.

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Do You Have Sleep Apnea? | Schnecksville Dentist

Getting a good night’s sleep is important – it gives our bodies enough time to heal and improve, our minds to settle and reset, and time out of the stressors of our everyday lives. But for 20% of Americans, sleep apnea is causing them to have very poor sleep conditions. What’s worse? There are plenty more that are undiagnosed.

If you are unaware of what sleep apnea is, it is essentially a sleep disorder that causes your body to choke on itself repeatedly while you sleep. Obviously, this is as dangerous as it sounds, especially is the episodes last for longer than a minute. The problem is, we’re sleeping so we don’t necessarily know if we snore or have restless sleep unless a significant other is affected.

Believe it or not, a simple dentist appointment can give you the answers you seek. During a typical checkup, your dental professional will look for the following:

  • Acid reflux disease
  • Macroglossia, or a large tongue
  • Bruxism, or teeth grinding

At Extraordinary Smiles, we have special equipment that can help to efficiently measure the size, structure and collapsibility of your oral and nasal airway – the Eccovision Acoustic Diagnostic Imaging System. Don’t worry – it isn’t as scary as those technical words sound.

With both the Acoustic Pharyngometer and the Acoustic Rhinometer, sleep dentists can measure the size of your airways with sound waves in order to diagnose if they are too narrow or have obstructions that are causing you to have sleep apnea. But these fancy machines don’t make this testing a long, arduous process. They both take less than five minutes – no more reason to have another night of restless sleep!

For more information about sleep apnea, call Dr. Sandip Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Ladani proudly serve patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.