If you suffer from dental anxiety and are afraid to visit the dentist, you are not alone. Recent studies found that more than 30 million Americans postpone or avoid visiting the dentist because they suffer from dental phobias or anxiety. While some patients simply experience a bad case of nerves at the dentist’s office, others suffer from severe dental phobias and anxiety which can cause them to feel panicked and terrified to the extent that they avoid dental treatment altogether.
Dental Anxiety Treatments
Fortunately, there are now a number of ways that your dentist can help you feel more relaxed and comfortable during any treatment. Many dentists now feature soothing amenities such as blankets, personal headphones, and even DVD players and TV screens for patients to watch from the treatment chair. For many patients, just focusing on something other than their mouths is enough to help them relax during treatment. Other patients who have minor anxiety may find that nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or injected numbing medications may be all they need to relax in the chair.
Sedation Dentistry Options
For patients who need more advanced help with their anxiety, oral conscious sedation is an excellent option. With oral conscious sedation, patients take a small anti-anxiety pill just before treatment. They remain fully conscious, but so relaxed that they often drift off to sleep during treatment, and most patients don’t remember anything about their visit. In fact, this
sedation dentistry option typically allows patients to remain comfortable and relaxed for a longer period of time, so they can often undergo a number of treatments in one longer visit.
If you would like to learn more about sedation dentistry, contact our
cosmetic dentistry center today.