What’s the first thing your child asks you when they know a doctor is going to perform a procedure? “Is it going to hurt?” From a child’s perspective this notion largely consumes their thoughts and spares little room for feelings of encouragement. Dr. Lisa M. Cherry, Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry, is highly sensitive to this scenario and has incorporated the use of the latest technologies so that she can often confidently tell her patients, “No, it will not hurt.”
Thank you Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry for sponsoring this article.
Within her private practice, Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Lisa M. Cherry and her team are centrally focused on providing your child and family with the most positive and successful dental visit. In addition to her technological tools, there are many key themes and practices she has implemented which help her to achieve these successful visits.
The most important thing to Dr. Lisa is that she is able to educate and build confidence within her patients to set them up for a life-long appreciation of dental health. Positive dental experiences as a child are foundational in achieving this goal.
The Soan
One frustrating element of going to the dentist is that when traditional numbing techniques are used, often an entire side of the mouth has to be numbed in order to provide comfort during treatment. This numbness often lasts several hours after a procedure. Children often feel disoriented by this extended numbing sensation because it takes them longer to return back to their normal activities. The team at Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry has recently incorporated a unique tool which alleviates many of these disadvantages typically experienced with the use of local dental anesthesia.
Meet the Soan. The Soan is an anesthetic system that delivers the analgesic into a single working area, rather than having to numb an entire quadrant of the mouth. With this particular device, anesthetic is administered directly into the bone around the tooth instead of the surrounding soft tissues, which usually also affect the lip or tongue.
The numbing agent often wears off within 30-45 minutes of the procedure. Because there is no peripheral numbness, the patient is able to return to speaking, eating and drinking normally immediately following treatment. This tool also allows Dr. Lisa to check the patient’s bite and make any needed adjustments within the same restorative appointment. Patients are able to actually feel if something is off or tall and can communicate such to her right away, whereas with traditional local anesthetic administration, patients are typically too numb to discern if an adjustment is needed.
The Soan supplies dental anesthetic in such a smooth and even manner, many patients are not even aware they are being numbed at all. Because she is able to exercise more control over the patient’s comfort, Dr. Lisa is often able to complete complex dental treatment in a more efficient manner that may not otherwise have been possible to complete with traditional numbing techniques. It’s safe to say this new device has been a game changer in being able to provide pain-free dentistry for her patients.
The Solea Laser
Another exciting tool utilized for pain-free dental treatment by Dr. Lisa M. Cherry is the Solea Laser. With this tool, there is often no need for additional dental anesthetic during treatment, as the laser provides a numbing effect in the working area. Dr. Lisa is able to perform both hard and soft tissue procedures without the additional sensory distraction usually provided by dental handpieces. This makes this tool an integral part of treating patients who are sensitive to sensory stimulation.
She makes sure to introduce the laser to each patient, showing them how the cold water will feel as it “washes aways their sugar bugs.”
The Solea also allows Dr. Lisa a high degree of flexibility when accessing difficult spaces and angles within the smaller mouths of her patients.
With both the Soan and the Solea, Dr. Lisa is able to achieve the same sort of isolated anesthesia effect. If in fact no additional anesthetic is needed during a laser procedure, kids can go right back to being kids immediately following treatment, without the lingering effects of traditional numbing anesthetics.
Building A Special Relationship
Dr. Lisa M. Cherry knows that providing positive, pain-free dental services is about more than just using the latest technologies. She keenly pays attention to the cues each patient may give her in signaling that they may be worried, nervous or shy and adjusts her approach or treatment recommendations accordingly. The team at Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry takes the necessary time to find out what your individual child needs to feel safe and comfortable in a dental environment.
Sometimes it may be as simple as having a patient bring a special toy with them and other times a few “get to know you” visits may be in order before treatment can be completed. Dr. Lisa and her team are willing to put in the work to achieve a special rapport with each child. At the root of it all, she ensures each patient has FUN and is always looking forward to their next dental visit.
In building these relationships with her patients, Dr. Lisa is able to confidently and realistically determine what types of treatment she can accomplish with each child in order to maintain a positive dental experience. If ultimately it is best for the child to complete treatment while asleep, Dr. Lisa works with a top-notch pediatric dental anesthesia team, who offer sedation services in the Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry office setting.
Make An Appointment with Cherry Orchard Pediatric Dentistry
Dr. Lisa M. Cherry is a Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist. She received her dental degree from Marquette School of Dentistry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then attended Boston University School of Dental Dental Medicine for her specialty training. When she is not in the office, she enjoys being a member of the Greenville County Dental Society and Renovation Church, as well as spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.
To make an appointment with Dr. Lisa M. Cherry, call the office at 864.603.2603 and find out more about their pain-free dentistry offerings.
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