Birmingham AL Sedation Dentists
Do you need a Birmingham AL sedation dentist? Do you dread the thought of going to the dentist? Are you one of the millions of Americans with moderate to severe dental anxiety? Maybe you have an uncontrollable gag reflex that makes it very difficult and uncomfortable for you to tolerate even routine dental work. Or maybe you are allergic to novocaine or novocaine does not make you numb.
If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you will be glad to know that there is a specialized type of dental care that may be right for you. Sleep and sedation dentistry is a safe, comfortable, painless, stress-free alternative to traditional dentistry for Birmingham dental patients. In sleep and sedation dentistry, intravenous anesthetic is used to fully or partially sedate the patient so that the patient does not feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure.
Hospital Sleep Dentistry
Dr. David Kurtzman, DDS is one of only a few dentists serving Alabama who has the training needed to practice hospital sleep dentistry. Conscious sedation is appropriate for many patients. Dr. Kurtzman administers the intravenous sedative and carefully monitors the patient and adjusts the sedative to keep the patient very relaxed and comfortable. Although the patient is conscious, they are so comfortable that most patients sleep through the procedure.
For patients who need a deeper level of sedation, Dr. Kurtzman completes the dental work in a hospital operating room assisted by an anesthesiologist who administers the anesthetic and monitors the patient throughout the procedure.
Hospital Dental Care
Hospital dental care is very safe and provides a comfortable, stress free and painless dentistry experience. For patients with heart conditions and other medical issues, sleep and sedation dentistry is the safe alternative because the low stress level helps keep the patient’s blood pressure under control.
Other patients that can benefit from sleep and sedation dentistry include patients with developmental or physical disabilities and young children who cannot be still long enough for good dental care. Patients who need extensive dental work can have the work done in a single session rather than over a period of weeks or months. To see if you are a good candidate for sleep and sedation dentistry, call Dr. Kurtzman to schedule a consultation.