Dr. Nammy Patel talks about “no shot dentistry”, using alternative methods such as lasers and needleless anesthesia.
No shot dentistry is the best dentistry because we don’t have to use any noodles. So we can do that by a number of ways. We have lasers that we can utilize, so there’s no need for a shot. There’s also needle-less anesthesia, so we can use these products into the gums so that you’re getting the numbing that you need, but without the shot.
So what kind of patients respond well to this type of no shot dentistry?
So to be honest, if I was a patient, I wouldn’t want a shot. So every patient responds well with a no shot dentistry. And in general, we try to minimize the amount of shots that we give anyways, because again, your body has to break that down. So the less we do, the better it is. So we try to use materials that are, there’s no anesthesia, so that way you’re able to just kind of flush through the system.
I remember when I was a kid and I had to get a couple of cavities filled and getting those shots to numb are not fun. So I wish that was around when I was getting that. So is it safe for children?
Absolutely. It’s great for children, in fact. It’s so much better because that fear that’s created, or seeing it on TV a lot of times, are afraid because it’s on the cartoon about being afraid to go to the dentist, when it can be a pleasurable experience. It can be something that’s easy and comfortable and they’re able to get their fillings done really easy.
So you make it sound so great, but does it cost any more?
In my practice, there’s no additional cost for shots or no shots and for lasers or anything along those lines. For us, it’s really all about giving the best care and making it as patient friendly as possible.