Overcoming Fear of the Dentist
Dental anxiety can stop people from receiving the dental care they need, only making a situation worse. People who have dental anxiety will avoid visiting the dentist and increase the risk of infection.
If you avoid the dentist due to fear of what a procedure may be like or simply do not enjoy dental work, there are steps you can take to ensure that you are comfortable and relaxed
How can I ease my fears about dental care without medication?
In some cases, all a patient needs to do is play music on headphones during the appointment. In other cases, we may need medication or another method to deal with dental anxiety.
How can I prepare for my dentist appointment?
Another easy way to calm your fears is to visit your dental office and meet with your dentist prior to the actual appointment. Taking the time to tour the office, sit in the dentist chair and have a conversation, will allow you to become familiar with the staff and office environment.
After this meeting, when you do have your teeth cleaned, you are doing so in an atmosphere that you feel comfortable in with friendly and familiar faces. During your consultation, you can also discuss what you can expect from a teeth cleaning or a specific procedure. This will help you to mentally prepare for how long it will take, what dental tools we will use, what you may feel during the process and what the recovery period will be, if any.
At JD Ross D.D.S. Inc, we find that the more informed our patients are the more comfortable and relaxed they feel. This one appointment can help to alleviate the fear of dentists that you are experiencing.
Sedation Dentistry Can Reduce Your Dental Anxiety
Sedation dentistry can also be used to reduce and prevent dental anxiety. Here are some of the questions we are regularly answer about sedation dentistry.
Will I be asleep when sedated?
Typically not. Sleep dentistry is usually reserved for oral surgery and lengthy procedures. Sedation dentistry will help you relax and can make you drowsy, so some patients do nod off. However, with our sedation methods, you are still in control of your body and are technically not put to sleep.
Can everyone use sedation dentistry?
To determine if you are healthy enough for sedation (most people are), we recommend that you schedule an appointment with our California dental office. Dr. Ross will meet with you to discuss the type of sedation that will be best for your procedure and the level of dental anxiety that you are experiencing.
How is sedation dentistry administered?
The most common form of sedation is taking a pill an hour before the procedure begins. One pill can help you to feel entirely relaxed and eliminate your fear of dentists. Most procedures, like teeth cleaning or fixing a simple cavity, do not necessarily hurt. With sedation, many people do not require additional medication. However, if you would like pain medication as well, we can give it to you after the sedation has taken effect.
Will I be able to move around like normal?
Yes, with sedation dentistry you can continue to engage in conversation and respond to commands; but your response times may be slightly delayed and your mind not as clear as normal. This is why we recommend that you either have someone drive you home or wait until it has worn off completely before driving home after the appointment.
Are there any side effects of sedation dentistry?
Most of the time, the sedation goes away within an hour of your procedure being complete. If you are more heavily sedated or put to sleep for oral surgery, it can take a couple of hours to feel normal but this is rare. In our Ventura dental office, we use the least amount of sedation to help you to feel completely relaxed and comfortable. Thus, it is effective without staying in your system for too long.
Can children benefit from sedation dentistry?
Yes, children may need sedation when going through large amounts of dental work so that they can hold still long enough for a dentist to complete the dental work. This is a unique specialty and not offered at every dentist office.
Are there other ways to make dental work more comfortable?
Yes. Laser dentistry is transforming how professionals complete dental procedures. Laser energy is fine and can target small spaces without irritating the surrounding tissue. We can also reduce discomfort and the recovery time thanks to dental lasers. The dental lasers are less invasive than traditional dental tools. With the dental laser, there will be less bleeding and swelling than normal. Dental lasers can also help treat tooth decay, gum disease, and has applications in restorative procedures.
If you want a more comfortable experience and to reduce your dental anxiety, we highly recommend visiting a laser dentistry office. We find that many of our patients no longer need sedation or pain medication because the common factors that create fear of dentists are eliminated. For example, the noise, heat, and vibration that is traditionally associated with the dental drill is not present when using lasers.
To learn more about new dental technology or how to reduce your dental anxiety, call and schedule an appointment with our Ventura dentist office today.