Many people find visiting the dentist to be difficult due to their anxiety. Even a routine office visit can make them very nervous or uncomfortable, and dental work like restorations makes this anxiety even worse. With sedation dentistry, you can have your dental work done in complete calm and comfort.
What Causes Dental Anxiety?
People who suffer from dental anxiety often had a very uncomfortable or even traumatic experience at the dentist when they were children. For example, if you had a large number of cavities when you were a child, or if you had to have teeth extracted, this could lead you to be nervous or upset about any dental visit.
People with dental anxiety tend to avoid going to the dentist unless absolutely necessary, so when they do go, it’s usually for serious problems like extensive decay. This translates into a difficult, unpleasant procedure, which then makes the dental anxiety worse. Once this vicious circle has developed, it can be difficult to derail it. However, today’s sedation dentistry techniques can help.
How Does Sedation Dentistry Work?
With sedation dentistry, you receive a mild sedative in pill form before your appointment, or you are given nitrous oxide during your procedure. Both approaches allow you to be completely relaxed and calm while the dentist works on your mouth. If you are having restorations done, the dentist will probably also use a local anesthetic to keep your physical discomfort to a minimum.
Sedation dentistry isn’t the same as a general anesthetic. You remain conscious throughout, and can talk to your dentist when necessary. You can also respond to instructions. After the sedative wears off, you may or may not remember all the details of your time in the dentist’s chair. If you receive oral sedation, you should have someone pick you up after your appointment. Nitrous oxide wears off very quickly, so you can probably drive yourself home after this form of sedation. However, if you’re uncomfortable with driving after sedation, be sure to arrange for transportation.
To learn more about our sedation dentistry options, call our office today!