Do Relaxing Dental Appointments Exist? | Ottawa Dentist

In order to protect our smiles from decay and other dental maladies, we need to follow a good dental hygiene routine each and every day. But in addition to that, we need to visit the dentist a couple times a year. Not only will you have a deep cleaning of your smile, but your dental professional is the only one who can truly tell if your smile is developing any issues.

Unfortunately, many patients do not like visiting the dentist. And while there are a number of reasons why dodging appointments is common, there are many ways that the dental industry has developed ways to ease a patient’s mind in order to maintain a healthy smile. Some provide creature comforts that liken a dental visit to going to a spa, while other techniques focus completely on any physical fears with sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry uses medication to help patients who fear the dentist, hate needles, have highly sensitive teeth, or are immune to the numbing effects of anesthesia relax during dental procedures. Patients are generally awake, with the exception of those who are under general anesthesia. Here is a breakdown of sedation options:

Minimal sedation. You are awake but relaxed.

Moderate sedation (formerly called “conscious sedation”). This option will generally come in the form of laughing gas. You may slur your words when speaking and not remember much of the procedure.

Deep sedation. Make sure you have a ride home afterwards, because you are on the edge of consciousness but can still be awakened.

General anesthesia. Similar to deep sedation, you are completely unconscious but won’t feel a thing. There are the levels you will likely need a ride home after your procedure.

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

What You Need to Know About Frenectomies | Ottawa Dentist

When we think about dental procedures, we generally think about teeth and gums, but there are a few lesser-known bits that can require necessary dental attention. One of these is the frenulum. Frenulum is a thin connective tissue that connects one surface to another inside the mouth. We have three types – lingual frenulum connects our tongue to the bottom of our mouth, labial frenulum connects attaches the lips to the gums (top and bottom at our front teeth) and buccal frena attaches our gums to the sides of our cheeks. In fact, you can see your frenum if you look in a mirror. Lift your tongue to see your lingual frenulum, pull your upper or lower lip to expose your labial frenulum. That’s your frenulum!

Now, this will only really become a problem if the frenulum is elongated and here’s why. As an infant, having an elongated lingual frenum may cause issues feeding, because babies need their tongues to suckle milk. If left untreated, it will cause speech issues as they become a toddler and begun to speak. And if it’s the labial frena that is elongated, it may cause orthodontic issues because it could cause gaps as permanent teeth start to come in. Many times, the issue can be remedied with braces.

Thankfully, there are plenty of natural, non-invasive options to try first. But if that doesn’t help, there is a simple procedure that can remedy any abnormal frenulum issues – a frenectomy. So simple you are in and out within fifteen minutes. Even recovery time is minimal – if you keep it clean and follow aftercare instructions, you’ll be back to normal within two weeks.

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.