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Will A Dentist Ask To See My Marijuana Prescription?

May 31, 2016

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 6:41 pm

I have dental anxiety. I was thinking if I could just smoke a joint before my appointment, it would relax me enough to get through the appointment. I live in a state will legal medical marijuana. If I told him I had a prescription would he ask to see it and turn me in if I don’t actually have a prescription?

Name Withheld

Dear Anonymous,

You’re not the first patient to ask about the use of marijuana before a dental appointment. I’m going to suggest something completely different, especially since you don’t actually have a prescription. Why risk it?

There is something your dentist can do to relax you during your appointment without any risk of illegal behavior. Have you ever heard of nitrous oxide?

Nitrous oxide is sometimes called laughing gas. It will relax you all while allowing you to be alert during your appointment. It has the added benefit of helping any local anesthetic of being more effective.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Marijuana for Dental Anxiety

March 30, 2016

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 1:51 pm

Is it OK to go to the dentist after smoking marijuana or will it mess things up? Dentists make me nervous. I think it’s not big deal, but my wife wants me to check.

Lewis – Oregon

Lewis,

You should thank your wife. There can be serious health risks if certain medications are used together. One of those is marijuana and epinephrine, which is a common ingredient in some local anesthetics. If your dentist doesn’t know that you’ve ingested marijuana, then you could end up with heart problems. If he knows, it’s possible to give you and anesthetic that doesn’t contain epinephrine. There are also pain meds that won’t interact well with marijuana usage.

The key is communication. Make certain your dentist knows EVERYTHING you’re taking, including over-the-counter medications, because you never know how it will effect your dental care.

There is another option if you’re uncomfortable with dental work…or dentists. Have you considered sedation dentistry? This can give you pain free appointments, without the complications of trying to self medicate. Talk to your dentist about it ahead of time. He or she will likely work with you. If not, you can always find a different dentist who is willing to.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Why doesn’t my anesthetic work?

January 23, 2016

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 12:00 pm

I can’t figure out why my local anesthetic doesn’t work. Whenever my dentist tries to numb me, it just doesn’t work. Is there something wrong with me?

Jodi A. – Atlanta

Jodi,

It’s not that there is anything wrong with you per se, it is more likely that you have dental fear. As a result of fear, your metabolism kicks into high gear and eats up the anesthetic.

What you’ll have to do is deal with the fear in order to give the anesthetic the chance to work. I’m not saying see a therapist. There are things your dentist can do to help you. I would look for a dentist who caters to patients with dental fear.

He or she can give you nitrous oxide. It takes the edge off of the procedure for you, which helps relax you. When you’re relaxed, you local will work more efficiently.

You may also want to look for a dentist who uses “the wand”. It gives pain free shots, especially if your fear kicks into high because of the needle.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

My dentist makes me sweat

September 24, 2014

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 8:47 pm

I have a real problem and I don’t know what to do about it. Every time I go to the dentist, I break out in a cold sweat. The last time, I actually left before my appointment started, making up an excuse of a family emergency.  I don’t know why this is happening.

Ezra B. – Mississippi

Ezra,

You’re suffering from dental anxiety. it is fairly common. I wouldn’t despair yet. There are many dentists who cater to fearful patients. They generally have a better chairside manner than most, are more gentle, and practice some form of sedation dentistry.

You may just need something to relax you, such as nitrous oxide.  However, if your fear is stronger, you might need something stronger, like oral concious sedation or IV sedation.

If your current dentist isn’t good with fearful patients, I would look around for another dentist. There are plenty out there who take great pride in helping people in your situation.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen

 

Fear of dentist

April 26, 2013

Filed under: Dental Fear — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 1:03 pm

Can you give me some advice on getting over a strong fear of the dentist.

Yasmine- Florida

Yasmine,

Most dental anxiety is rooted in a traumatic experience with the dentist, so the biggest factor in getting past your fear is going before you have a dental problem. That way you get to experience an easier appointment.

You’ll also want to go to a dentist who readily works with fearful patients and you can build a trusting relationship with. Look on their site to see if they have a page dedicated to dental anxiety, such as a cater to cowards page.  You  can also look for a dentist that practices sedation dentistry.

While you’re there ask your dentist to show and explain to you what he is going to do ahead of time. That way you aren’t taken by surprise. Some dentists will also let you listen to your ipod if that will help relax you.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

 

Couldn’t get numb

March 30, 2013

Filed under: Sedation Dentist — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 8:41 pm

I had a root canal treatment a few months ago and it was horrible. The numbing medicine didn’t work. I just found out I need another one and I am absolutely terrified. Is there some way to get me numb?

Penny D.- Texas

Penny,

Anxiety can sometimes keep you from getting numb with a local anesthetic.  Generally, a root canal treatment isn’t so bad, so I don’t want you frightened about your next one.  There is something you can do about the numbing problem.

The first thing is to get some nitrous oxide before you get the novocaine shot. The nitrous oxide is a mild relaxant and will take the edge off your anxiety. If however, you want something deeper, you can go to a sedation dentist and they can do oral conscious sedation. Then you will be completely relaxed during your appointment. Some patients don’t even remember the procedure.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

Do I need a root canal?

February 28, 2013

Filed under: Root Canal Treatment — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 8:28 am

I went in for my first filling. I kept filling some pain. She numbed me a second time, but it didn’t really help. Then she stopped, put in a temporary filling, and told me I needed a root canal. Is it possible I should have just been tougher and I don’t really need a root canal?

Deanne, from Albany, NY

Deanne,

I don’t think the problem was you not being tough enough. Sometimes, a dentist won’t know you actually need a root canal until they get in to do the filling. It’s likely that the cavity was deeper than was visible on the x-ray. If she got in there and saw that it had reached to pulp of your tooth, it was time to do a root canal.

That may have been one of the reasons that you weren’t able to get as numb as she was expecting. An infection can make it more difficult to get numb. Another thing that affects anesthetic is anxiety. If you are highly fearful of dental procedures, you can burn off all the numbing agent. One solution to this is to use sedation dentistry. This takes the edge off your anxiety and allows the anesthetic to work.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

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