Sedation & Gentle Dentistry

“Times are changing. Dentistry used to be a service where the dentist is the expert and we are going to tell you, you need this. Well that’s no longer true. It’s time to forget everything you thought you knew about going to the dentist. Just tell me what you want and why you want it, and I can help you figure out how to get there. In one visit, we can actually restore your entire mouth, teeth that are broken, change their size, their shape, and their color. We can truly do anything that you wish. Dr. Tim Clavin has treated many people who have avoided the dentist, just like you. I won’t start until your completely sedated and I’ll do everything in my power not to hurt you. No fears, no lectures, and literally no pain. Many don’t remember the procedures and with a small amount of post operative medication they do quite well.”

This is way to visit the dentist, find out more about Sedation and General Dentistry by visiting our website
www.sedationandgeneraldentistry.com or contacting us at 612-332-5122.

Dr. Tim Clavin is a Sedation Dentist Minneapolis Minnesota.

Dental Sedation Methods
Dental sedation is a method that can be practiced when a patient suffers from a fear of the dentist. Depending on the extent of the anxiety or phobia, varying levels of dental sedation can be applied, including conscious sedation with sedatives, intravenous (IV) sedation and inhalation nitrous oxide sedation. Patients who might otherwise avoid the dentist due to their extreme fear of the dentist and possibly fear of needles, wouldn’t be aboue to receive dental treatment essential for good oral health without these sedation dentistry methods.

Types of Dental Sedation
Currently there are 4 types of dental sedation processes utilized by sedation dentists today:
Oral Sedatives
Oral sedative medications such as diazepam can be given to a patient the night prior to a dentistry operation or half-hour to an hour prior to the dental appointment, depending on the severity of the patients fear and anxiety. However, oral sedatives do not offer pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation
Similar to oral sedatives, intravenous (IV) sedation does not provide pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered in conjunction with this process of dental sedation.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Another form of conscious inhalation sedation, nitrous oxide gas (also known as laughing gas) is practiced to bring on a state of relaxation. A local anesthetic will be administered in combination with nitrous oxide sedation to eliminate pain.
General Anesthesia
This technique of dental sedation refers to the use of anesthetic to render the patient unconscious. Contrary to other sedation techniques, the patient will be entirely unaware of their environment, making the use of local anesthetic unnecessary.
Degrees of Dental Sedation
The four dental sedation processes numbered previously can provide varying degrees of sedation. These include:

Anxiolysis
This refers to techniques of bringing on “light sedation.” There is numerous forms of sedatives that result in anxiolysis; however, nitrous oxide, a form of inhalation sedation, is the most commonly applied process to bring on this type of relaxation.
Conscious Sedation
Moderate dental sedation can refer to either nitrous oxide or IV sedation. These sedatives may induce conscious sedation, where the patient will be awake and able to reply to instructions, but will be in a state of extreme relaxation.
Deep Sedation
Deep sedation refers to a state between unconscious and conscious dental sedation. Patients will not be able to respond to commands in a consistent manner and may need some assistance with breathing in the event that they are unable to keep their airway open.
Unconsciousness
General anesthesia causes the airway to close. As a result, patients will need assistance with breathing and will not respond to commands. This method of dental sedation is reserved for oral surgery.

If your looking for a Sedation Dentist in Minneapolis Minnesota contact Dr. Tim Clavin at (612) 332-5122. If your afraid of the dentist I’m sure you will have plenty of questions you will want to ask, so linked previously is our most Frequently Asked Questions.

Tooth loss is enjoyed and celebrated in our younger years, and then dreaded and feared in our older years. No one intentionally loses their teeth, but does anyone work towards preventing tooth loss? When your younger this thought might never cross your mind, but ways to combat tooth loss when your over 60 is a lot more imaginable. There are a few tips that you can follow that will help you combat tooth loss over 60.

1. Stay away from Sports Drinks – The pH levels in many sports drinks can lead to tooth erosion due to their high concentration of acidic components, which could wear away at the tooth’s enamel.
2. Stay away from Sodas – for similar reasons as sports drinks, high sugar and bad pH. Don’t think your getting off easy with a diet soda, they can still be just as harmful.
3. Stay away from Sugar – sugar acts as food for acid-producing bacteria which ends up causing cavities and tooth decay. Replace sugar with Stevia, which is all natural, or at least Splenda.
4. Drink water from the tap – bottled waters has less fluoride than tap water. Fluoride makes the entire tooth more resistant to decay and promotes remineralization which aids in stopping early decay. And the most efficient way to get fluoride is from water. But for the over 60 crowd you should also use fluoride toothpaste or fluoride rinses.
5. Stop Smoking! – besides the cancer it produces, tar from smoke forms a sticky film on teeth which increases bacteria.
6. Floss more – you already know you should be doing it. So start.

If you don’t follow these 6 tips, you might end up with dentures or dental implants.

Join us for our Second Dentistry from the Heart Day in Downtown Minneapolis.
I’m sure you’ve seen the happiness we’ve spread in the photos and videos we have posted.

Whether individuals are unemployed, or their employer just doesn’t provide dental insurance, this can make dental work more costly than many can afford. In this light our Downtown Minneapolis Dentist Office is joining forces with Dentistry From The Heart to help those without Dental Insurance or enough money to pay for dental care to get the help they need.
On July 24th from 7 am to 5 pm we will be seeing those in need of dental care on a first come first serve basis.
Our Dentist Office Located in Downtown Minneapolis is located at
Medical Arts Building
825 Nicollet Mall
Suite 609
Minneapolis, MN 55402
This is our part of our commitment as a Minneapolis Cosmetic and General Dentistry Office to Help those in need. If you or someone you know needs cosmetic dental help, please do not hesitate to join us.

Dentistry From The Heart | Improving the World Through Better Dentistry for ALL

Dentistry From The Heart is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to providing free dental care to those who need it. Every year, individual dentists and practices across the country donate their time and resources to host their own DFTH events. In support, the national organization serves to recruit, unify, and promote on a national level

Here are the Facts about Dental Health in the US and Minnesota

More than 100 million Americans are without dental insurance.
Dental decay is the nation’s most common chronic disease and five times more common than asthma. (Surgeon General, 2000)
• Every $1 spent on preventive care saves about $4 in dental costs. (National Institute of Dental Research)
• Across Minnesota, only 42 percent of public program enrollees from all plans receive dental care. (Minnesota Department of Human Services, March 2006)
• The number of Minnesota children living in poverty has increased far beyond the national average rate, multiplying the number without dental care. (Children’s Defense Fund, 2007)
• In older people, untreated gum disease and cavities can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and strokes.

“My name is Doctor Tim Clavin, my office is located Downtown Minneapolis in the medical arts building in the Nicollet Mall. I think dentistry has evolved, we were trained to tell our patients what they need and the patients would come to see us they have a wealth of knowledge available to them and they really tell us what they want. The kind of cosmetic dental procedures we perform is bemiring of teeth, cosmetic crowns, crowns that no longer have the metal substrate underneath them. We do a lot of things even with cosmetic dentures. We can provide teeth that are beautiful prosthetics or bemiring of teeth or simply brightening their smiles.
For me I view many of the patients as my friends, I mean, when they come in and I haven’t seen them for six months, four months or whatever, they are, I feel a friendship with them and I think patients can tell that.
People like to come to our office because we are small. We treat one person at a time and we listen to people, they tell us what they want and we help them. I the benefit of only seeing one person at time in my office is that patient actually gets time with the dentist. I know how thinks are in this world, the pressure on businesses and health care centers and in my office you actually get time with me and many patients love that.”

New reports have established the importance of oral health in our overall health. Phobias around going to the dentist hold back more people from getting the top-grade oral health that they should.

Sedation Dentistry may be the solution to your trouble.
One of the most widely applied techniques is Oral sedation.

This technique utilizes a prescription drug to assist in relaxation throughout the dental visit. The pill is prescribed and the patient consumes it before coming to the dental office.
IV Sedation is the less common form of Sedation Dentistry.

It starts right before the dental procedure will commence. The amount of sedation alters from patient to patient and may be regulated throughout the visit.
Contact Dr. Tim Clavin at our Minneapolis Cosmetic Dentist Office today to discover more about your Sedation Dentistry choices.

As previously discussed on Dr. Carson’s Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist Blog

Some Pictures from my Family and Office

If your looking for a great Minneapolis Dentist contact Dr. Tim Clavin.

“My name is Eric. My wife goes here. She recommended him and I had a great visit. It was great. They had the ultrasonic cleaning tool that was very nice. Its a big difference between the usual picks and axes they use.”

Eric is a patient at my experienced dental office located in the Twin Cities. If you are located in Minneapolis or St. Paul and would like to find out more about me please contact our office today.

Some patients will ask me “why doesn’t this  look right?” I’ll visit with them that it is not uncommon for this to happen.  In nature, like many things, teeth are symmetrical.  Symmetry in tooth size, shape, and color is what gives us a pleasing smile.  Nothing was done wrong in this picture expect for the use of dis-similar material to close the patients space between his front teeth.    My recommendation to this patient was to use similar materials with one common color to give him a natural, pleasing smile.

Teeth not looking quite right