Sedation Dentistry: Providing Solutions For Anxious Patients
Getting anxious during a dental visit may seem silly to some. But there are people whose anxiety levels increase tremendously at the thought of dental appointments, let alone an upcoming dental procedure. These patients may have gone through a traumatic experience in the past or they simply have a low tolerance for pain. Further, hard to restrain children who are obviously anxious about going through the dental treatment are unable to stay put in the dental chair for a long period. There is a solution to reduce the anxiety and calm the patient during dental visits and treatments: sedation and sleep dentistry.
Administering these dental techniques depends on the patient’s needs and the type of procedure he’ll go through. Local anesthetics are typically used to numb the area so that you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during the treatment. There are two kinds of anesthetics utilized in dentistry today: topical and injectable. Topical anesthetics are applied on the gum using a swab or an adhesive patch. Usually, this lessens the pricking sensation the patients experience when an injectable anesthesia is used. On the other hand, injectable anesthesia is employed to alleviate pain in the area where the procedure will take place. It blocks the nerve endings and temporarily numb the tissues around the mouth. Injectables are administered during root canals, tooth extraction and other tooth restoration procedures.
Despite the introduction of anesthetics to reduce the pain and discomfort, some patients need to deal with anxiety which local and injectable anesthetics don’t provide. In such cases, the dentist will use anti-anxiety medication or sedatives to provide relief for anxious patients. Conscious sedation can be administered through pills, gas or intravenous injection. Two of the most common sedatives are nitrous oxide and intravenous sedation.
Nitrous oxide or commonly known as laughing gas or happy gas is administered by mixing it with oxygen and inhaled through a breathing mask. The sedative properties wears off once the mask is taken off. Intravenous sedation is generally administered in the vein on the arm. After a few minutes, the patient will be put in a relaxed state; breathing on his own and is able to respond to verbal commands.
As a patient, you need to openly discuss your dental anxiety concerns with your dentist. There are options available to you such as conscious sedation that can help alleviate the discomfort and anxiety levels during dental treatment and procedure.
Leff, Weiss and Walde DDS are a team of Ft Lauderdale dentists specializing in sedation dentistry. To know the dental solutions available for anxious patients, visit sleepdentists.com.
