COMFORTABLE DENTISTRY

Sedation Dentistry
Imagine walking in to the dentist's office, relaxing comfortably in the dental chair with a warm blanket, falling in and out of sleep, confident that when you fully awake you have completed your care. So many people avoid going to the dentist because they are afraid. Sedation dentistry can be an enormous help to these people.

Recent developments in pharmacology have given dentists oral drugs that produce a profound state of relaxation with a high degree of safety. The first pill is taken one hour prior to bedtime and an additional pill one hour before the appointment. This sedation technique is very well received by patients and is a lot less invasive than IV sedation. Thousands of patients have tried and enjoyed the benefits of sedation dentistry, it may be time for you to be one of them

Relief for TMJ
Do you have pain in your face, jaw or teeth? Do you have trouble chewing? Does your jaw make clicking or popping noises? These symptoms can be caused by temporomandibular disorders (TMD). This term describes a group of problems related to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and nearby muscles. The TMJ is a ball-and-socket joint located where the upper and lower jaws meet. You have one joint on each side of your mouth. These joints are part of a large group of muscles, ligaments, and bones that work together as a system.

Many people hear clicking when their jaw moves. If you feel pain along with the noise, the joint may be damaged.

Impingement occurs when the disk slips out of place (displacement). This causes the jaw to catch. As the disk slips, you may hear a clicking sound. Locked jaw occurs when the disk gets struck in one position. It causes the TMJ to wear away (degenerate). This leads to pain during movement. A removable acrylic appliance can help to minimize the effects of grinding the teeth (bruxism) or joint problems (T.M.J.). An occlusal guard is usually worn at night to prevent the grinding of teeth and/or relieve joint pain.

TMJ is a chronic illness that affects 40 million people at any one time. There are many people who have no pain but still have a misaligned bite. People with pain are often told by physicians that the pain is all in their head, and are convinced that strong pain medications are the answer. Please call us to schedule a consultation to see what Dr. Blacher can do to relieve your pain.