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History | Pain Management | Office Tour
History of Advanced Dental Technology of Ithaca II, PLLC
Dr. Marcia Zax has been in practice since 1985, and has taken care of the patients at the current location since March, 1999. Much of the staff currently working at this office have been employed here for over twenty years, having started with the previous dentist. This continuity of care enables us to deliver the personalized care in which we take great pride.
Mission and Commitment to Quality:
Comprehensive Care in a Relaxed Environment
We commit ourselves to patient comfort, dental excellence and pioneering dentistry. We also pledge to involve you in the decision making process so that you are aware of all your treatment options and can select the care that is best for you. Finally, we are committed to continuing education so that we can offer you the best of new treatments, as soon as these innovations have proved their worth.
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Pain Management
More than anything else, patients are most concerned about pain management! In everything we do, we try to approach patient care in the way that will minimize pain and stress. The most obvious “painful” experience is the “Novocaine”, but also the worry about “what if it hurts even after I have Novocaine?”
In order to minimize the discomfort of getting “novocaine”, we first apply numbing cream to the area. For most patients, this is all that is needed to facilitate the administration of the “novocaine”.
We always tell our patients that if anything does hurt, or if they need to tell us something important, they can always ask us to stop by saying “Ah”; that is the magic word in our office, letting us know that we need to stop to listen because you have something important to communicate. If indeed the problem is insufficient numbing, we can give additional local anesthetic. There are numerous types of “novocaine” and also various ways of delivering it in order to truly numb the area.
Some patients who have TMJ problems, or just a small mouth and have experienced soreness from having their mouths open so long in past dental treatments, may benefit from taking anti-inflammatory and/or muscle relaxants prior to and subsequent to the dental appointment.
For those extra anxious patients, for whom the above measures are just not enough, there are a variety of additional measures available. Some patients, in consultation with their medical doctors, find it helpful to take anti-anxiety medications prior to dental treatment. For others, when medically not contra-indicated, nitrous oxide may be administered. Whenever nitrous oxide is used, the patient’s oxygen and pulse are monitored using a pulse-oximeter.
Finally, much human anxiety is due to the unknown. We take the time to review the treatment plan with our patients and involve them in the decision making process, so they can select the treatment options that best suit their needs. We want our patients to have the reassurance that they are fully informed about their dental health status and the measures needed to accomplish their treatment goals.
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Office Tour
Dr. Zax and Nicola at the reception desk.
The Staff of Advanced Dental Technology at the reception area, Deb Lewis, Registered Dental Hygienist; Dr. Marcia Zax DDS, PhD; Kim McLachlan, Certified Dental Assistant; Nicola Donohoe, office manager and treatment coordinator (from left to right).
The Garden Room
Deb, our hygienist, at work with patient.
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