Our Promise to You

Dear Sherwood Dental Patients:

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. We are reopening for our regular business hours as of May 19 to resume general dental services. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedure we follow in our practice to keep clients and staff safe.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our clients and staff. For example:

-        Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.

-        We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.

-        You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.

-        Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between clients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.

-        We will do our best to allow greater time between clients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of clients in the reception area at any one time.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every client, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office or visit our website.

Thank you for being our client. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our clients, neighbours and friends.

Sincerely,

The Sherwood Dental Team

The post Covid-19 appeared first on Sherwood Dental.

Have you ever left an appointment and felt uncertain or confused about the treatment plan presented? Or have you left feeling apprehensive, and not confident in making a decision? The best thing to do is to get a second opinion.

There is no rule about which dental procedures require second opinions. But it is more likely the case for major treatments such as full reconstruction or oral cancer.

How come my diagnosis changed with a different general dentist?

The reason why treatment plans can vary between dentists is due to their approach/philosophy and training. For example, some dentists may want to fix an issue as soon as it arises, while others are more conservative and prefer to watch how things progress. Or they may want to try a non-invasive treatment, such as Silver-Diamine Fluoride, before beginning treatment.

It is important to have a good relationship and trust with your general dentist and understand why he/she is making certain recommendations.

If you decide you want another opinion, consider these questions after:

• Do you agree with the diagnosis the general dentist has made?
• What treatment options do you have for the problem?
• How much will each option cost you?
• What will happen if the problem is not treated?
• What are the risks of each treatment option?
• How long will the treatment benefits last? Will you need future treatments?

Another way you may want to seek a second opinion is by seeing a specialist.  Dentists can specialize in certain conditions such as root canals, oral surgery, and orthodontics. And seeing a specialist in addition to your general dentist can be advantageous.

Weighing Your Dental Treatment Options

Some things to keep in mind if you've received a second opinion, are the different perspectives of each dentist. While a new dentist has the advantage of a fresh outlook, your current dentist has the convenience of knowing your full dental history which can be advantageous.

The important thing is feeling completely comfortable with the care and information you have received prior to making a decision. 

Ultimately you need to feel informed and confident that your treatment makes sense. And that your questions have been answered. If you have a good relationship with your dentist it should be absolutely okay to ask to seek out a second opinion. Or if you are uncertain about your situation you can ask your dentist to reexplain your treatment plan and go over your questions or concerns.  

Here at Sherwood Dental, we are more than willing to offer or refer for a second opinion for any treatment questions you may have. As well, we welcome anyone who wants to sit down and revisit a treatment plan to go over any questions or concerns they may have. Give us a call and we'd be happy to book you an appointment.

The post Should I Get a Second Opinion? appeared first on Sherwood Dental.

When most people visit the dentist for treatment, they often associate it with freezing, and numbness. Although it is a safe and necessary part of the procedure, it's important to know how it works and how long it will last.

Dental Freezing or anesthetic is defined as "medication that produces the temporary loss of feeling or sensation", and is used during treatment as pain control.

There are two types of anesthetic:

• Topical Anesthetic - A topical gel rubbed on your gums, creates a temporary numbing around the area of the injection.
• Local Anesthetic - This solution is injected near a nerve in your mouth to numb your teeth and surrounding area.

Freezing times are usually different based on where in your mouth treatment is being done.

When the dentist is working on the top of your mouth, they will typically only freeze a few of the teeth. Whereas on the lower part of the mouth the dentist will block freeze an entire area, which may include your cheek, lip, chin and tongue. This freezing usually lasts longer on your lower jaw as well due to the bone density.

Each person processes dental freezing at different rates; and depending on the type of anesthetic used it can typically range from two to six hours. 

Some side effects can happen as a result of being frozen; such as biting your lip, cheek or tongue, so be sure to use care when eating and try to stick to soft foods as well as nothing too hot. In rare cases, a nerve can get stimulated during the injection, which can lead to paresthesia: numbness or pain that lasts a few weeks to months. Another rare side effect can be an allergic reaction from the anesthetic, if you think you've had an averse reaction to freezing before, be sure to let us know.

If you know you have a busy schedule after your appointment and wish for some of the freezing to be gone, we do have oraverse (an anesthetic reversal) available. Be sure to ask your dentist about this, and we can give you more information.

Dental Freezing is extremely safe and we try to take all the necessary measures to make sure you are comfortable during your appointment. If you have any questions or concerns be sure to ask us at your next appointment, or contact us to find out more.

The post Dental Freezing: How it Works appeared first on Sherwood Dental.

Dental emergencies can strike when you least expect it. Earlier this week, one of our patients had a severe toothache while flying home from a conference. Obviously he couldn't run right into our offices at 10,000 feet.

Steve could've just sat and suffered until he got home and take advantage of one of our same day appointments, but he didn't have to - he could have taken an OTC painkiller to get some relief.

In some cases, what you do in the first few hours of your dental emergency really matters. It didn't for Steve, but if you've got a broken, chipped, or lost tooth, time is of of the essence. Check out this handy infographic to ensure you know exactly what to do the moment something happens.

Share Dental Emergencies in Sherwood Park On Your Site

<p><img src='https://sherwoodparkdental.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/dental-emergency.jpg' alt='Common Dental Emergencies and How to Deal With Them' width='100%' border='0' /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p><a href='https://sherwoodparkdental.ca/what-to-do-during-dental-emergencies/'>Dental Emergencies in Sherwood Park</a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p>

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Action Items:

• Don't ignore dental pain.
• Act quickly, but don't panic.
• Call our office ASAP and schedule your same day appointment.  We're here to help!

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Common Dental Emergencies and How to Deal with Them

When you've got a dental emergency you should call your dentist right away. The following tips are very temporary measures that you can take until the dentist can see you.

TOOTHACHES are probably the most common dental emergency. Toothaches are no laughing matter as they could indicate an exposed nerve or an abscess. You should pay particular attention to sudden increases in pain.

What to do While You Wait...

-Take and OTC painkiller, but keep it away from the tooth to avoid additional pain.
-We can sometimes call in antibiotics for you after hours to your local pharmacy to help with pain control.

CHIPPED or BROKEN Teeth?

Chips and breaks in your teeth can lead to serious problems later. Don't assume the damage is merely cosmetic.

While You're Waiting...

Rinse your mouth with warm salt water to relieve any pain. If a broken tooth is hurting and salt water won't help relieve the pain you should come in asap. If a broken tooth is achy this may mean there is nerve exposure.

OR

If it's a front tooth we usually try to repair this for our patients during the same-day they are assessed. We have also had patients who will use ortho wax to cover a broken portion of a molar if it becomes sharp to their tongue.

MISSING tooth?

Most commonly caused by trauma. If you are able to make it to the dentist fast enough the tooth can sometimes be saved. Never ignore a loose tooth as loose teeth are never normal in adults.

Try to see the dentist within the hour. Rinse the tooth, but NEVER scrub it.

LOST Filling?

The most common symptom of a lost filling is sensitivity to cold. The area depending on how it is fractured may be sharp to your tongue. You might also experience a little tooth pain temporarily.

What to do?

Use ortho wax is you have it on hand or come in right away and our dental assistants can place a temporary filling in till it can be repaired.

LOST Crown

If you lose a crown the tooth underneath will tend to be sensitive. Managing the pain and protecting the underlying tooth is going to be your first priority.

While You're Waiting...

Try you best to keep the crown on your tooth as this prevents the gums from growing onto the root of the tooth covering it.

-Use a cotton swab to apply clove oil, available at any drugstore.
-Use toothpaste to replace the crown
-NEVER use super glue

Tongue, Cheek, or Lip Injuries

Most people don't know that dentist can help with these injuries. Dentists help take care of tongue, cheek, and lip injuries every week.

-Rinse you mouth with salt water.
-Apply pressure with moistened gauze or tea bag

The post What to Do During Dental Emergencies appeared first on Sherwood Dental.