SEATTLE, Washington--Each month thousands of American dental-phobics-- those adults who avoid seeing their dentists out of fear and anxiety--are happily rediscovering their smiles thanks to sedation dentistry.
Now the dentist behind this growing movement has created a fun and fact-filled Web site for other dental professionals who are already applying his techniques or contemplating adding those services to their existing practices.
SilvermanDMD.com is a web log, also known as blog, that celebrates sedation dentistry as a way to enrich the lives of patients as well as to help hard-working healthcare professionals enjoy the fruits of their labors.
The site features news, profiles, commentary and insights into sedation dentistry by Dr. Michael Silverman, co-founder and president of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation, or D.O.C.S.
Since launching D.O.C.S. in 2000, more than one million previously fearful patients have sought anxiety-free treatment from D.O.C.S.-trained dentists. More than 6,500 dentists throughout the United States now practice this safe and stress-free method. D.O.C.S. teaches its members a variety of protocols that are designed to fit the individual needs of their patients.
Dr. Silverman is passionate about the benefits to be derived from sedation dentistry, for both the patient and doctor. And his enthusiasm is in evidence at SilvermanDMD. In addition to timely professional and health related posts, Dr. Silverman uses his new blog to celebrate his and other dentists' extracurricular activities.
Dr. Silverman, himself, recent built his dream home on an island on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho's largest fresh water lake. Dr. Silverman commutes to and from the 3,000 square foot timber-framed, custom-built dwelling on a 24-foot twin outboard that he owns.
"Thanks to modern technology, I can be on my island in the middle of Pend Oreille Lake and still be connected to the D.O.C.S. community throughout the nation," Dr. Silverman writes in one of his SilvermanDMD posts.
"Being able to work alone -- and yet remain connected -- is one reason so many dentists became dentists in the first place. It is also the key benefit of being a D.O.C.S. member."
With oral conscious sedation, patients are administered a single, safe, anti-anxiety pill about one hour before their dental work begins. Then throughout the procedure they are awake enough to respond to their dentists, but drowsy enough to be completely relaxed. Typically patients have little to no memory of their visit to the dentist, where hours seem to pass in only minutes.
Because patients have often neglected their oral health due to their fears and discomfort, many D.O.C.S. dentists see individuals who have not been treated for five, ten even fifteen years.
The good news for both patient and dentist is that with oral conscious sedation, patients can be returned to good oral health in a stress-free environment. Experience has proven that when patients are comfortable, their dentists can work with greater efficiency.
D.O.C.S. training is open to all dentists and their staffs and courses are taught by a seasoned team of both medical and dental specialists who make safety and patient comfort the focal point of their curriculum. The D.O.C.S. faculty offers classes throughout the country including a special three-day program in New York in affiliation with New York University. Dr. Silverman and his colleagues will also be offering oral sedation training at the 2007 American Dental Association annual convention.
For more information, visit SilvermanDMD.com, or contact a D.O.C.S. member in your community. Patients seeking more information on safe, effective anxiety-free dentistry should visit www.sedationcare.com.
