Many patients experience fear or anxiety prior to or during a dental appointment. It’s certainly common and Friendly Dentistry values the comfort of each patient who sits in our chairs. We understand that local anesthetics may hurt when they’re applied, and the thought of being completely “put under” can be distressing.
This is why we’re fully trained and equipped to provide full-service sedation dentistry in Greensboro, North Carolina. Sedation dentistry is a great solution for procedures requiring a lot of anesthetic, or conquering dental anxiety. Let’s get your teeth healthy and strong, without the fear!
Sedation is easy to administer, you won’t feel any pain, and you remain ludic or awake during the entire procedure so you can respond to our oral health professionals. Let’s talk about why some patients may experience dental anxiety, and how sedation dentistry benefits many of our patients.
What Causes Dental Anxiety?
Every sedation dentist patient is different and has unique reasons for feeling anxiety before a visit. There are a few reasons why patients may feel heightened anxiety including:
- Fear of pain
- Previous traumas related to the head or neck
- Poor experiences with other dentists or healthcare providers in the past
- Generalized anxiety or PTSD
- Feeling dental procedures are an invasion of personal space
Professional, experienced dentists understand there is a variety of dental anxiety causes and respect each patient who experiences pre-dentist discomfort. Dental anxiety impacts people of all ages, from children to senior citizens. Always be sure to talk with your dental health professional before your next visit to explore alternatives including sedation dentistry and what to expect.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Is Sedation a Good Way to Cope with Dental Anxiety? You Bet!
Now that we know some of the reasons patients may experience dental anxiety, let’s get into why sedation dentistry makes a great anxiety solution. First and foremost, it helps alleviate fear and anxiety associated with visiting the dentist and dental procedures. Dentists value the comfort of each and every patient, and sedation dentistry allows oral health professionals to help those patients relax.
Dentists who offer sedation dentistry also offer their patients fewer dental appointments! If you’re sedated, your dentist can perform more than one procedure during a single visit because you’re more at ease. Your visit will be much smoother and easier, as well. Instead of experiencing heightened anxiety or fear, you’ll be able to sit back and relax during your entire appointment. This allows your dentist and oral health team to focus on simply performing your procedure, which improves the experience for everyone.
When Can Sedation Be Used?
Sedation can be used during a variety of procedures to help with pain or fear. Whether you’re sedated depends on the type of procedure, and your own personal preferences and comfort levels. Talk with us before your next visit to see if sedation would be best for you!
We may use sedation for pain relief during dental and maxillofacial surgery, or during procedures that require more anesthesia for pain control. Depending on your pain tolerance or anxiety levels, sedation may even be used during a routine extraction or root-canal. We cater to you and can make recommendations on when and how to decide sedation dentistry is right for you.
What To Expect From Sedation Dentistry
- Before your appointment: You’ll take a pill before your appointment to help you through the process and calm your nerves
- Begin! You’ll be hooked up to a machine so we can monitor your blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels during the procedure. This information will help if we need to administer more anesthesia.
- Feelings: You will start to feel the effects come on slowly. You will feel a bit light headed and very relaxed. One common description is all of your limbs feel like they’re made of lead. You will also be numb to any pain.
- Triazolam: This is the name of the drug we use for sedation. It slows down brain activity. It’s a derivative of Valium and has been used safely for years. It has even been used to treat insomnia for decades.
- After your procedure: The Triazolam in your system will wear off pretty quickly, and you will need someone to drive you home afterwards.
The team of experienced experts at Friendly Dentistry have worked with countless patients who benefit from sedation dentistry. We’ll always give you information before your visit about what to expect, and instructions on aftercare following your procedure.
Contact us if you’re interested in sedation during your next visit. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have and help you feel more at ease with your procedures.