Does going to the dentist make you nervous? Have you postponed any dental services you need because you’re nervous about getting the procedure done? Dental anxiety can greatly affect your dental health when you miss dental check-ups and procedures because of it. Some patients fear the dentist so much that they forgo getting any care at all. For our patients, there are ways that you can be sedated so that you are far more relaxed in the dental chair.
Types of Dental Sedation
There are various levels of dental sedation that can be used to help you with your fear and anxiety. This can be a great way for our patients to get the dental attention they need without being afraid. In most cases, patients are awake while they are sedated, though there are also ways to have patients stay asleep during the procedures.
Minimal sedation is a way to make you relaxed in the dental chair, but you are still awake and aware. With this level of sedation, you can get everything from a dental cleaning to getting procedures done. You will remember the period when you were sedated.
Moderate sedation is a deeper level of sedation that will deeply relax you, though you are still conscious. This is sometimes called conscious sedation. This level of sedation is perfect for those who have a lot of dental anxiety and need dental care. During this type of sedation, you may not remember much about the time when you were sedated. You might slur your words and otherwise be highly relaxed.
Deep sedation is used for those who are highly afraid of dental proceedings and/or who will be having invasive procedures done. With this kind of sedation, you are asleep but can be awakened easily. This is generally done through IV medication.
There is also general anesthesia. This is done through IV medications, and you are kept asleep during the procedure and awakened afterward.
All of these sedation methods use medications to help you to feel better and more relaxed as you’re getting your dental work done. If you have put off going to the dentist because you’re afraid, now is the time to tell our team about it. We can help you with your anxiety and ensure that your appointment is full of relaxation instead of fear.
Who Gets Dental Sedation?
If you have a low threshold for pain or have sensitive teeth, you may be more comfortable with a low level of sedation. If you have a hard time staying still long enough for your procedure, you may do better at your appointment with sedation. If you have a very strong gag reflex and a hard time with dental work because of it, sedation may be right for you. If there is a lot of dental work that you need done, you may be more comfortable with sedation. If you have missed dental work because of your fears, you are a good candidate for sedation.
If you have fears and anxiety about your appointment, talk to our team about it. It may be a situation in which sedation makes the appointment easier for you. There’s no need to worry about asking for sedation- it’s very common, and you aren’t the only patient who has fears. Dental fear is a common problem that can greatly impact dental health.
Why Is There Dental Fear?
In some patients, it comes from something that happened in the past regarding dental work. For others, it comes from being highly sensitive to pain. For still others, it comes from simply not knowing what to expect. In some patients, the fear about going to the dentist becomes a phobia, and that can mean a lot of time spent avoiding the dentist.
Phobias are intense fears that tend to build on themselves until the person would do anything to avoid the trigger situation. Even if you have a phobia, today’s sedation dentistry makes it easy for you to relax and get the dental care you need. Whether your fear is general anxiety or a phobia, dental sedation can help you to stay calm and ready for your dental procedure.
Other Ways to Help You Relax
Our team wants you to be comfortable during your visit, and there are many ways that we can do this alongside your sedation. We can show you how to breathe slowly so that your body relaxes. We can give you a break at any time during your procedure to let you rest if needed.
We make sure that we keep our patients informed about what will happen during each stage of the procedure. Many of our patients like knowing exactly what is going on, and it can help them to stay calm. You can also bring in headphones to keep your attention elsewhere.
At DFW Oral Surgeons, we’re committed to your dental health, and we’re happy to help you with any state of dental anxiety that you have.