Dentophobia is defined as the fear of the dentist or their medical procedure. Being afraid of the dentist is common. Do you often feel afraid whenever you visit a dental clinic? If you answered yes, then sedation dentistry is for you.
Most fear of the procedures that they may undergo during their visit to the dentist. Examples of these are dental cleanings, tooth extraction, or having implants. In most cases, they anticipate the pain in their minds and cause others not to undergo dental procedures.
Because of the advancement in dental technology, a lot of the dental procedures nowadays are almost painless. Sedation dentistry is the solution that provides ease and comfort to every patient who goes through a dental procedure.
What is sedation dentistry?
This provides a comfortable venue for patients undergoing a dental procedure. Sedation dentistry is also known as “sleepy dentistry”. It uses a sedative to ease and reduce the anxiety of patients during different dental procedures.
3 benefits of sedation dentistry:
- Quicker Procedure. Sometimes, patients who deal with dentophobia are unable to go through the dental procedure and have it completed in one visit. This is time-consuming for the patient and the dentist himself. Dentophobia may lead to a delayed treatment and prolonged discomfort on the patient’s end.
- Sedation gives comfort to patients. Gum sensitivity is a problem that IV sedation dentistry solves. Many patients suffer from tremendous pain caused by gum sensitivity. The dentist administers the dental procedures in a comfortable manner with the help of sedatives.
* Erbsville Dental does not offer IV sedation. - Suited for patients with special needs. Patients who are clinically diagnosed to have sensory processing disorders or autism spectrum disorders also benefit from sedation dentistry. In effect, they receive dental treatment without feeling restless or anxious. Trying to convince patients with heightened sensory to visit the dentist can be a hard task. Thanks to sedatives, patients could already relax so the dentist can perform dental cleaning and other procedures easily.
Levels of sedation:
- Minimal sedation is when you are feeling relaxed but fully conscious.
- With moderate sedation, you might not remember the whole procedure accompanied by a slight slurring of words.
- Under deep sedation, you are awake but you are on the edge of consciousness.
- You are in a state of deep sleep with general anesthesia.
4 types of sedation:
- Nitrous oxide sedation or the “laughing gas therapy”. The dentist combines this with oxygen through a mask that he places over your nose. The gas will act as a relaxant and the dentist controls the dosage of sedation that you’ll receive. The gas quickly wears off and and allows you to drive yourself back home after the procedure.
- Oral sedation. Most Waterloo dentists give minimal to moderate sedation. Minimal dosage would entail you taking a Halcion pill an hour prior to having the procedure. Drowsiness is the main effect of the pill but you will still be conscious. The dentist may administer a higher dosage to facilitate moderate sedation. You might feel groggy, however, you will still be awakened even with a gentle shake.
- IV sedation dentistry. IV or Intravenous is a quick way to have the sedation kick in. The sedative will go through a vein for the medication to take effect quickly.
* Erbsville Dental does not offer IV sedation. - General anesthesia or deep sedation. This type of sedation is also administered through an IV. You will be in a state of “deep sleep” during the procedure. This needs the medication to subside for you to be awakened. * Erbsville Dental does not offer IV sedation.
Is sedation dentistry the cure for “Dentophobia”? Absolutely! This gives you a relax state of mind and allows you to go through the dental procedure with ease. It will give your most amazing smile back after every visit.
Feeling braver now? It’s time to conquer your fear and face 2019 with brighter smiles. Get ready to undergo that dental procedure you’ve been trying to avoid and achieve better oral health today.
