Sedation Dentistry: Managing Dental Anxiety
Of course, all dentists strive to provide their patients with pain-free treatment, and thanks to anesthetics pain usually is not a concern during treatment. Mental and emotional anguish, however, can be a serious problem for many patients who suffer from dental anxiety or dentophobia, an extreme fear of the dentist, dental office, and/or dental care. These fears can cause feelings of discomfort, fear, stress, and anxiety that often prevent people from getting the dental care they need to keep their teeth healthy and safeguard their physical well-being.
At Starbody Dental, we're proud to provide our patients with options in sedation dentistry that are designed to achieve pain-free and stress-free experiences in our dental office. Whether a patient needs a routine cleaning or a more invasive procedure, sedation dentistry helps patients access care without the fear, anxiety, stress, and emotional discomfort that they would otherwise experience at the dentist's office.
Sedation dentistry uses sedative medications and other relaxation modalities to eliminate or reduce the fear, stress, and anxiety that can be associated with dentists, dental offices, and dental treatments to help patients relax in the dental chair and have positive treatment experiences.
At Starbody Dental, we offer two types of sedation dentistry that provide different levels of sedation.
Sedation with nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) is classified as light-conscious sedation. This means that the administration of nitrous oxide (via a mask) achieves a light level of sedation which helps patients feel calm, relaxed, and happy while they remain fully awake, conscious, and able to respond to questions or requests during their treatments. The effects of laughing gas wear off quickly after administration and do not typically result in any lingering side effects.
Oral sedation uses prescription medications that are administered orally. Oral sedation is categorized as moderate conscious sedation because it achieves a higher level of sedation while patients still remain conscious. With oral sedatives, a patient will feel extremely relaxed and might even fall asleep during their treatments. Patients, however, can remain awake and responsive during treatment despite the feelings of deep relaxation.
These medications are typically taken about an hour before a patient's dental appointment to ensure their effects are felt before and during the appointment. Oral sedatives significantly reduce fear, stress, and anxiety. The effects of these medications are slightly longer lasting, and patients receiving oral sedation must arrange transportation to and from their appointments.
Patients who suffer from dental anxiety can use additional strategies to stay calm and comfortable in the dentist's chair. For example, we recommend talking with our dentist about a plan for communicating during treatment. This usually includes hand signals that you can use to let us know if you need to take a break.
These relaxation strategies include:
We always want our patients to remember that we are here for them and to help support not only their physical health but their mental well-being too. We encourage you to let our team know if you experience dental anxiety so that we can work with you to create a sedation dentistry care plan that helps you have more positive experiences during treatment.
If you experience dental anxiety, we encourage you to take control of your oral health and emotional well-being by requesting sedation dentistry at Starbody Dental. To learn more or schedule an appointment, we welcome you to contact our office today.
Call 615-896-1330 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
