Many patients skip visits to the dentist because they have dental anxiety, are afraid of needles, or even experience claustrophobic feelings while they are in the chair. Their overall fear of going to the dentist leads them to postpone seeing the dentist when they really need oral health services. As a result, their level of overall health declines, and the conditions they have only get worse.
Fortunately, there is an excellent solution for people who are suffering from this apprehension and fear. With conscious sedation dentistry, the dentist can provide the patient with a level of sedation that leaves them feeling carefree even while they are still awake. Patients often also experience a form of short-term amnesia during which they are not sensitive to pain.
Relieves Anxiety and Lets You Get the Care You Need
Your dental health is critical to the overall well-being of not only your mouth and teeth but your whole body. When you don’t have regular dental visits you may have bacterial infections in your mouth or gums, and these bacteria can travel to the bloodstream, lungs, and joints. If the infections go unchecked, it can result in serious health issues.
If you choose a dentist who specializes in sedation dentistry you’ll be able to get the services you need without having to feel the tremendous anxiety you used to experience. Your skilled professional will help assure that you are sedated at a level that is right for you. In addition, it’s helpful to note that they are well trained in these procedures and have used them successfully with many patients.
Have Multiple Procedures Done in a Single Visit
Patients who have regularly skipped or avoided dental appointments for years often have a lot of work to catch up on. Typically, this could result in them having to come in for one appointment after the other, which would only further trigger their anxiety. With Oral Conscious Sedation the dentist can perform multiple procedures in a single visit. Read more about Dental 3D Scanning: How Dentists Use 3D Scanning.
This is possible because the sedation allows the patient to experience being carefree instead of having their fears triggered. In this state, the patient is still conscious and can respond to the dentist but at the same time, they are relaxed. Best of all, handling several things at one sitting will result in fewer appointments being necessary overall.
Anterograde Amnesia
We don’t often think of amnesia as a good thing, but for a patient who is deeply afraid of the dentist and is beset by phobias and anxiety, it can be a positive. Often times the initial fear of going to the dentist developed after a bad experience as a child. Sedation dentistry helps rewrite that in a way because there is no trauma associated with the new visit.
One of the outcomes of sedation dentistry is that the mind is relaxed and cannot form new memories of the experience. Thus, when another visit is necessary, there is no fear present from the last time the patient was in the dentist’s chair.
If you have been putting off your visit to the dentist and have been neglecting your oral health care because of phobias and anxiety, sedation dentistry may be ideal for you. It can transform your visit from an anguishing experience to a time where you feel no fear or pain.
