The no-fear dental office
Q: I need extensive porcelain veneer cosmetic work, extractions and dental implants, but I am extremely afraid. What can be done other than taking risks in being put to sleep?
A: Did I ever tell you the “Dr. Friedman story”? I shared the waiting room with a top NYC Columbia University psychologist, Dr. Friedman back in my Manhattan days on Central Park West, around the corner from the Dakota building where John Lennon lived, Woody Allen and Rosemary’s Baby (Whose mom was played by Woody Allen’s real life girlfriend, Mia Farrow……..but I digress.)
One slow day when his couch and my dental operatory were both empty, Dr. Friedman asked me: “Hey Dr. J; how come you haven’t referred any dental phobia patients to me?”
My answer: “Hey Einstein; Dentalphobics DON’T GO TO THE DENTIST!
His response: “GENIUS!”
Technology has made the dental office much easier for those that fear having dental treatment. Here are just a few items we employ in our practice:
No Fear Dental Office Checklist:
- Halcion: a great relaxing pill to take 45 min. before. You will feel like you had a martini on an empty stomach. Drunk; but not asleep.
- CCS: Comfort Control Syringe; electronic anesthesia for comfortable injections.
- Profound: a strong topical anesthetic that numbs you up before injections and eliminates the shots completely for many periodontal and oral surgery procedures.
- Dental Vibe: vibrates the bone and tissues during injections, eliminating the pain of the shot.
- Vibraject: allows for painless nerve blocks for deep injections to get lower back molars numb.
- squeeze ball: pain reducing acupressure points for dental injections and Botox.
- Aquaphor applied to lips: prevents cracking and cold sores
- Neck pillow: added comfort and injury prevention of the cervical spine.
- Protective glasses: for eye safety and infection control
- Music: to relax you; pick what you like.
- Short treatment times: get out of the chair faster!
- No-cut: implant surgery: no flaps, no scalpel, no stitches; less pain and quick recoveries
- Full mouth crown, Bridge and Veneer cases in 1hr and 40 min, not 5 hours using NO-GOOP digital impression scanners.
- Diode Laser: Faster impression, bleeding control and elimination of a second surgery to uncover your implants.