Category Archives: Sleep Dentistry

When You’re Nervous About Your Dental Procedure | Palm Harbor Dentist

Now that we’ve begun another year, it’s time to take some time to reflect on yourselves and what we hope to accomplish in the upcoming year. For some of us, going to the dentist is a frightening experience in their head to the point of dodging checkups. It’s so common, dental anxiety is an official phobia that strikes some patients. Unfortunately, because our mouth plays such a strong hand in our overall health, dodging the dental chair isn’t a smart idea. Thankfully, the dental industry has acknowledged these fears and have focused on patient care to help you get through these checkups which will result in a healthy smile, regardless of your dental anxiety.

Sedation dentistry, also referred to as “sleep dentistry”, uses medication to help ease and relax patients before or during their dental procedure. There are many methods that can be used in sedation dentistry, and the method used depends on the patient’s needs. Here are the four most common methods of sedation dentistry:

Nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is combined with oxygen and inhaled through a mask over your nose. This nitrous oxide helps calm the patient’s nerves.

Oral sedation. The night before a procedure, the patient will take an oral medication to ensure that you’re calm and relaxed during the procedure. The recovery time for this method is a bit longer, so a ride home will be necessary.

IV sedation. This method is considered to be moderate to deep sedation. This type of dental sedation is administered into the bloodstream, which results in immediate relaxation.

General anesthesia. The strongest method of sedation is general anesthesia. During this type of sedation, the patient cannot be easily awakened until the effects fully wear off.

If you’re interested in learning more about sleep dentistry, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Signs and Symptoms: TMJ Edition | Palm Harbor Dentist

No one wants to experience jaw pain, but for most patients, it can’t be helped. Here is where it gets tricky – did you know that TMJ, or Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome, is one of the most misdiagnosed syndromes in the world? Oftentimes, TMJ is overlooked, as jaw related issues can be linked to a multitude of different health issues. So, how do you know when it’s not just a chance occurrence or something that is becoming an issue, we need to concern our dental professional with? Here are some signs and symptoms in which point to TMJ:

Pain in the jaw, especially around the joint
Popping or clicking of the jaw
Ear pain
Ringing or popping sounds in the ears
Headaches
Blurred vision
Tight or sore jaw or neck muscles
Shoulder pain
Locking or dislocation of the jaw

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, contact Dr. Lieberman immediately, as he can appropriately diagnose the root of your jaw and facial pain. Thankfully, there are lots of ways to treat this condition and get you back to sleeping peacefully. Below are some of DIY tips you can do on your own to relieve some of the pain you’re experiencing:

Facial exercises such as stretching, relaxing, or massaging the muscles found around the jaw.
Avoiding actions such as yawning, singing, or excessive chewing.
Learning new stress relieving techniques including but not limited to meditation, breathing exercises, or personal stress relievers.
Formulating an exercise plan in order to increase our pain tolerance.

If you’re interested in learning more about TMJ pain, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

What Type of Sleep Apnea Do You Have? | Palm Harbor Dentist

We all crave a good night’s sleep. Not only does it refresh our minds and bodies for the next day’s activities, but it is also the time of day our body uses to heal itself and ensure things are running smoothly once we wake. The issue lies when we don’t get a solid sleep. Research has linked sleep apnea to inflammation in the body, which increases the risk of various conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. In order to understand how to deal with our sleep apnea issues, it’s important to know which type you have:

The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. OSA becomes more prevalent with age, especially in males, people with excess body weight, pregnant people, and people who sleep on their back. Some symptoms include:

waking during sleep or feeling very tired when awake
waking panicked
snoring or gasping for air
frequent headaches
dry mouth
feeling confused or unable to concentrate

Unlike with OSA, in central sleep apnea, the body does not try to breathe, so there is no snoring. Instead, because the brain and nervous system do not consistently send a signal to breathe, the person stops breathing. Some people have no symptoms, but others may notice bouts of insomnia, daytime sleepiness or trouble concentrating. Some potential causes include:

insomnia
waking up short of breath or feeling panicky
daytime sleepiness or trouble concentrating

Complex sleep apnea syndrome combines and central sleep apnea. The symptoms are similar to those of OSA and include:

brief wakings from sleep
daytime fatigue
confusion on getting up
headaches or dry mouth
insomnia or poor-quality sleep

If you’re interested in learning more about sleep apnea, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Patient Care Is Our Number One Concern | Palm Harbor Dentist

We all know that no one likes to go to the dentist. While most of us just find it more of a hassle than anything, for some, it’s an overwhelming anxiety that is difficult to overcome. The reasons for it can vary – some fear the sounds, others worry about pain. Regardless of the reasons, dental anxiety is a real fear, and we understand that it affects our patients in various ways. Thankfully, through the latest developments in the dental industry, we have begun to address our patients’ needs to feel a bit more comfort when coming to visit.

If a more relaxed environment is what you’re after to calm your nerves, we have implemented a few amenities for our patients to enjoy when they come in for a checkup. With these little creature comforts available, our patients can come in for a visit and feel like they’re right at home. How about these for making your dental exam a little less bothersome?

Head rest pillows and patient comfort chair pads
Blankets
Flat screen TV’s with headphones
Relaxing spa like atmosphere in each treatment room
Specialty coffee bar
Sedation

Yes, it’s true – your regular checkups can now feel like a movie night in. And if you are still a bit skittish about coming in for your appointments, we have various sedation methods to help ease your fears. From minimal to deep sedation, anesthesia is a great way to get your dental procedure done without fear. And if you are worried about sedation dentistry being safe, rest assured that integrating sedation dentistry into your procedure is absolutely comfortable and safe. Patients agree that it’s the best option because it allows your dental professionals to work thoroughly and quickly.

If you’re interested in learning more about dental amenities, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Is Sleep Apnea Ruining Your Sleep? | Palm Beach Dentist

When it’s time to get some sleep, it’s generally welcomed by our bodies after such a long day. It’s our bodies time to rest and heal itself in order to be able to handle another day. Unfortunately, many patients have a difficult time to get that well-needed sleep. They’re tossing and turning, they wake up often due to snoring, the types of sleep issues are countless. The interesting thing is, we generally don’t realize we have a sleep issue – we just feel sleepy the next morning. It’s our significant others that notice because they’re likely not getting enough sleep wrestling with your sleep patterns. If you find that this is becoming more of an issue in your life, it’s time to make a dental appointment because you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder where you have one or more pauses when breathing or shallow breaths while you’re asleep. The pauses in breathing can last from a few seconds to minutes and can occur thirty times or more an hour. While this occurs, your diaphragm and chest muscles are working hard to try to open your obstructed airway and pull oxygen into your lungs. Sleep apnea can be dangerous due to the decrease in oxygen flow to your vital organs and can cause irregular heart rhythms.

In order to properly diagnosed sleep apnea, your doctors will have to perform a physical exam and take your medical and sleep history. Here are a few of the signs of sleep apnea to look out for:

Headaches when you wake up
Trouble keeping focused
Feeling depressed, irritable or having mood swings
Waking up frequently to go to the restroom
Dry mouth or sore throat when you wake up

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

End the Year Without Your Bad Habits | Palm Harbor Dentist

Let’s face it – this has been one wild ride of a year. There was always something new to make us overwhelmed. And with this, some bad habits may have presented themselves. It’s understandable. So, as we are preparing to enter a new (and hopefully less stressful) year, why not take a moment to think about these bad habits and make a change for the better? Here is a list of some bad dental habits that we hope you can try to curtail because they are really killing your smile:

Chewing ice. We’ve all been guilty of this. After you’ve finished a drink, you might have the habit of chewing the ice that is leftover. But it’s the cold and hardness of the cubes can actually chip or crack your teeth.

Oral tool kit. Just like the ice habit, using your teeth to crack open nuts, or tear through plastic can be incredibly detrimental. Just like chewing ice, using your teeth as a tool may cause damage to your teeth.

Drinking soda. This may seem harmless, but there is a number of reasons why soda is bad for our teeth. Chockful of sugar, even the sugar-free options are bad for our teeth. Sodas are acidic and incredibly harmful to teeth.

Nail biting. A nervous habit, we know and perhaps one of the most common bad habits at that, biting your nails itself is not only damaging to your nail beds, but also to your teeth.

Teeth grinding. Officially called bruxism, grinding your teeth can begin to wear them down. While this is difficult to control while you’re sleeping, a dentist may give you a night guard to help you get it under control.

If you’re interested in learning more about bad dental habits, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Easing the Pain of TMJ Symptoms | Palm Harbor Dentist

No one like to have a toothache. For some reason, it feels like pain in our mouths is worse than any other type of pain. But what if it is your jaw that’s in pain? It brings on a whole new set of pain. Not only is it a larger area than a single tooth, but it can cause issues when trying to eat, sleep or other day-to-day activities. Thankfully, it is a condition that is temporary and can be alleviated without surgery.

Individuals suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMJ, experience many symptoms such as discomfort and pain in areas surrounding the face or jaw. For some it’s a tenderness in the jaw area while some find pain around the ear, others will have difficulty eating or may experience locking of the jaw joint, which makes it tough to open and close the mouth. There are a series of remedies recommended in order to alleviate tension found in those areas. You’ll find that the remedies are simple and can easily done anywhere. Some of these include:

Facial exercises such as stretching, relaxing, or massaging the muscles found around the jaw

Evading actions such as yawning, singing, or excessive chewing.

Learning new stress relieving techniques, including but not limited to meditation, breathing exercises, or personal stress relievers. There are loads of options online you can experience in order to find what best suits your needs.

Formulating an exercise plan in order to increase your pain tolerance.

Dr. Lieberman highly encourages patients suffering from TMJ to follow these few techniques in order to alleviate TMJ pain and symptoms. If symptoms worsen, you are encouraged to schedule an appointment immediately with our friendly staff.

If you’re interested in learning more about TMJ disorder, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Sleep Your Way to a Healthy Smile | Palm Harbor Dentist

For some of us, going to the dentist is a rather frightening thing to think about doing. There are plenty of reasons one would be nervous about, sitting in the dental chair, and it is a very common fear for many patients. Thankfully, there is help that can get you through these checkups so you can have a healthy smile, regardless of your dental anxiety.

Nitrous Oxide. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is combined with oxygen and inhaled through a mask over your nose. This nitrous oxide helps calm the patient’s nerves. This method requires little recovery however, you will still need to have someone drive you home.

IV sedation. This method is considered to be moderate to deep sedation. This type of dental sedation is administered into the bloodstream, which results in immediate relaxation.

General anesthesia. The strongest method of sedation is general anesthesia. During this type of sedation, the patient cannot be easily awakened until the effects fully wear off. Because it will take a while, making arrangements for a ride home will be wise.

If you’re interested in learning more about sedation dentistry, contact Dr. Lieberman at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Sleep Your Way Through Dental Appointments | Palm Harbor Dentist

Having a healthy mouth is important, but for many of us, there are fears helping us avoid the dentist. Take a moment to ask yourself the following questions:

Is your fear of the dentist stopping you from receiving dental care that can improve your oral health and smile?
Are you anxious about visiting the dentist?
Are you afraid that you might constantly fidget during a dental procedure?

If you have answered yes to the following questions, it is possible that you have what is widely known as Dental Anxiety, or DA. But you need not worry – you aren’t alone. Dental fears are a common reaction to visiting the dentist. Thankfully, the dental industry has developed treatment options that can resolve those fears you may have through the use of sedation dentistry. Dr. Lieberman uses sedation treatments for your dental care because “your comfort and peace of mind are important to us. To help you with a relaxing, stress free dental visit we offer several different types of sedation.” Dental professionals will generally offer three types of sedation – which is used depends on the patient’s needs. These sedation preferences include:

Oral conscious sedation. This option allows patients to take a safe and effective pill prior to the appointment. It is handy to have a driver around afterwards.

Nitrous oxide gas. Also known as laughing gas, this alternative gives you relaxed feeling while receiving treatment, but will wear off quickly once the procedure is complete.

IV sedation. The most intrusive of the options, this option allows patients to be completely unconscious while receiving treatment through medication administered by needle.

If you’re interested in learning more about sedation dentistry, contact Dr. Larry Lieberman, DDS at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.

Do I Have Temporomandibular Joint Disorder? | Palm Harbor Dentist

When someone experiences Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMJ, they may experience symptoms, such as discomfort and pain in areas surrounding the face or jaw. But what exactly is TMJ and how does one develop the disorder?

TMJ is the joint where your lower jaw is attached to your skull, so you have TMJs on both sides of your face. Problems related to said joints are classified as TMJ disorders. Common examples of TMJ disorders are frequent migraines, having trouble sleeping and difficulty in closing, as well as opening the mouth. TMJ may also result in a number of other problems, including:

Pain in your facial area.
Pain in your ears, ringing, as well as congestion.
Popping and sometimes pain in the jaw when opening and closing the mouth.
Pain and stiffness in the shoulder, back and neck.
Numbness in your arms, more specifically your hands and fingers.
Problems with posture.

There are a series of remedies recommended in order to alleviate tension found in those areas. Some of these include:

Facial exercises such as stretching, relaxing, or massaging the muscles found around the jaw
Evading actions such as yawning, singing, or excessive chewing.
Learning new stress relieving techniques including but not limited to meditation, breathing exercises, or personal stress relievers.
Formulating an exercise plan in order to increase our pain tolerance.

Patients suffering from TMJ should follow these few techniques in order to alleviate TMJ pain and symptoms. If symptoms worsen, you are encouraged to schedule an appointment immediately with our friendly staff. There are various treatments a sleep specialist can offer.

If you’re interested in learning more about TMJ disorder, contact Dr. Larry Lieberman, DDS at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.

Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Palm Harbor and all surrounding areas.