Sedation dentistry is the technique of providing a relaxing and anxiety-free experience for some people receiving dental treatments. Dental sedation encourages patients too scared to visit dentists to acquire the essential dental care they need and receive the therapies without fearing dental phobia.
The dental organization for conscious sedation, a professional dental body dedicated to ensuring that patients receive safe, comfortable, and anxiety-free dental care, states that approximately 30 percent of the American population avoids dental visits due to fear. The all too common dental phobia prevents people from receiving essential routine dental care compromising the health and functionality of their smile and oral health.
Sedation dentistry is the procedure used by dentists to establish a relaxed and calm state using sedatives. You receive sedative drugs such as tranquilizers, depressants, antianxiety medicines, laughing gas, et cetera administered in different ways to manage dental anxiety.
Earlier IV sedation which involved delivering sedatives via injections into the arm or hand was the favored method of sedating dental patients. IV sedation is undoubtedly safe and effective when given by a trained professional. However, currently, sedation dentistry delivers a more conducive and relaxing experience than IV sedation by providing a no-needle approach.
Oral sedation dentistry is currently the most popular technique used in America and Canada to help patients overcome their dental fears. The method is easy because it requires no needles and the medications help create a comfortable experience for most patients who don’t recollect their visit to the dentist’s office.
When you receive sedation dentistry, the medicines delivered increase your pain threshold, making you oblivious of your dental treatment. However, you must remember that you still require local anesthesia injected in the mouth even when your dentist performs sedation dentistry techniques.
The local anesthesia is to temporarily block pain impulses from the affected teeth and gum tissue. However, you don’t realize it when the dentist injects the medication into your mouth because you are already sedated and comfortable.
When you accept your dentist’s proposal to undergo treatments under sedation dentistry, you can expect to have the dentist complete more dental work because you are lying still in the dentist’s chair without moving around. As a result, you can change the appearance of your smile or even have intensive rehabilitation work to help you achieve a smile you will be proud to show off.
If you are fearful of dental visits, even for routine dental checkups and cleanings, or must have extensive work in your mouth to prevent complications, you find it beneficial to discuss sedation dentistry with your dentist. This comfortable and easy technique doesn’t require you to endure pain or needles when visiting your dentist’s office. Instead, the dentist provides you a prescription for medications you can have an hour before your appointment.
When you arrive for your appointment, you are in a relaxed and calm state of mind, even when you are in the dentist’s chair. You think your dentist completed the dental work in a few minutes when you spend hours in the chair.
Sedation dentistry is beneficial for any patient scared of visiting dentists because of dental phobia but enduring teeth sensitivity and leaving the problem to aggravate and worsen. Children are also candidates for sedation dentistry because they are often uncooperative during dental visits making them challenging to manage. It confirms that sedation dentistry is suitable for all willing to visit their dentist to receive essential treatments.
When you undergo treatments under sedation dentistry from your regular dentist, you don’t have to visit the emergency dentist in Phoenix for unexpected dental problems when least expected. Instead, you allow yourself to keep your oral and overall health in excellent condition and have any issues in your mouth treated before they worsen to need intensive treatments.
After sedation dentistry, you need help from a friend or family member to drive back home because the medicines render you incapable of operating vehicles or machinery. However, besides the minor inconvenience, you can rest assured you will experience no problems with your dental health because the dentist cares for any issues in your mouth when you are sedated and comfortable in the dentist’s chair.
If you haven’t heard of sedation dentistry and are neglecting essential dental treatments, it is time for you to schedule an appointment with On Pointe Dentistry using this technique to overcome your dental anxiety as soon as possible.
We welcome patients from all surrounding locations to visit our dental office in Phoenix, AZ