Intravenous Sedation (IV Sedation) is perfect for patients with anxiety about visiting the dentist or an oral surgeon. That’s where IV sedation comes in. Since its inception, it’s helped many patients receive the oral surgery they need while feeling relaxed and completely comfortable.

If you opt for IV sedation, you will not experience any discomfort or pain. You’ll be able to receive dental treatments without being aware of any of the sounds, smells, and sights of the dental office. Although you will still have the ability to respond to verbal cues from the dentist, you probably won’t remember what happened at your appointment the next day.

What to Expect From IV Sedation

You are advised not to eat or drink anything eight hours prior to your surgery if using IV sedation. You are also required to have a legal parent or guardian, and/or driver over the age of 18 to drive you home. The driver must stay in the office during the entire procedure and may not leave during the surgery in case of emergencies.

Your surgeon will start an IV in your arm. He or she will also monitor your heart rate, oxygen level, pulse, and blood pressure throughout the appointment.

Who Is a Good Candidate for IV Sedation?

During your initial appointment, your surgeon will conduct an oral exam, evaluate your dental needs, and explain any procedures that they recommend. If you have a bad gag reflex, have trouble sitting in a chair for long period of time, or other issues, IV sedation may be recommended. Some patients who want IV sedation are not able to due to health reasons;  it is up to the doctor’s discretion on whether or not the patient can have sedation

Contact NCOSO For IV Sedation

Our doctors are dedicated to providing each and every patient with an enjoyable experience that can be achieved through sedation. To learn more about IV sedation or schedule an appointment, contact NCOSO today.

When one or several teeth have been lost due to trauma, decay, or injury, bone loss in the jawbone often arises. If teeth are not in place to stimulate the jawbone, the bone around the missing tooth will start to languish.

Sometimes the jawbone is too thin for a dental implant and therefore requires what is known as a bone-grafting procedure in which allogenous bone is added to the area around the implant in order to maximize the outcome of dental implant surgery. That’s where bone grafting comes in. Bone grafting is a minor surgical procedure that is intended to build up new bone in the jaw area that is used to hold the teeth. This procedure prepares patients for future dental implants.

Types of Bone Grafts

The three types of bone grafts that a dentist may perform are autogenous, allogeneic, and xenogeneic. Autogenous bone grafts are comprised of your own bone and taken from somewhere else in your body. An allogeneic bone graft is a dead bone harvested from a cadaver then processed via a freeze-dry method that extracts the water through a vacuum. Xenogeneic bone grafts come from the non-living bones of a cow or another species.

What to Expect

In most cases, a dentist will administer local anesthesia prior to your bone graft procedure. Then, he or she will make a small incision in your gum tissue in order to access to the underlying bone that will receive the graft.

After the procedure, you may experience some soreness that can be managed through ice therapy or over-the-counter pain medications. Although it won’t take long for you to feel completely normal, it may take several months for your bone to mature. Once bone maturation takes place, you will be ready for dental implants.

Contact NCOSO Today for Bone Grafting

Our doctors will conduct a comprehensive oral exam and x-ray of your teeth, gums, and jaws to determine whether a bone grafting procedure is right for you. We encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment!

3D Imaging

Gone are the days when dental patients have to leave the office and take a trip to a radiology center to get their CT scans. Thanks to Core Beam Computed Tomography, a 3D imaging modality, patients can view their CT scan along with their oral surgeon and gain a greater understanding of their diagnosis, plan of care, and expected outcome in one visit.

Benefits of 3D Imaging

3D imaging offers three-dimensional, digital imaging at an affordable price point and far less radiation than traditional CT scans. Thanks to this cutting-edge technology, oral surgeons can give more accurate diagnoses and provide patients with higher quality treatments than they would be able to with two-dimensional imaging. 3D imaging makes it possible for an oral surgeon to investigate every aspect of the face, neck, and teeth with crystal clear images that are free of distortions.

What to Expect from the 3D Imaging Procedure

During your initial appointment, a 3D imaging procedure will likely will be performed. Once it has been completed, the images will be ready for the oral surgeon to review. The scanner will provide images at a number of different angles to provide a complete view of your face and jaws.

The images will then be compiled into one single 3D image that your oral surgeon will have the opportunity to manipulate. As he or she is manipulating the image, your treatment will be planned and explained.

Contact NCOSO Today

NCOSO is pleased to offer Cone Beam Computed Tomography in our office so that we can save our patients from unnecessary procedures and provide them with less invasive surgeries and faster recovery times.

When you schedule a consultation with us, we can use the 3D scanner to plan treatments for dental implants, TMJ, impacted teeth, pathology, wisdom teeth removal, oral pathologies, and jaw realignment. If you would like to avoid unnecessary procedures, enjoy less intrusive surgery options and quicker recovery times, contact us today!