It’s no secret that a number of American adults dread going to the dentist. It’s not uncommon for someone to have so much dental anxiety that they avoid the dentist’s office altogether. The consequences of avoiding the dentist due to dental anxiety can threaten not only your oral health, but your overall health. Avoiding the dentist can cause dental pain, loss of teeth, or even gum disease. Studies have linked gum disease to other infections in the body such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Fortunately, dentist are trained to help treat patients with this type of dental anxiety and ease their fears. There are a number of treatment options for patients to choose from to help reduce their anxiety, one of the most common being sedation dentistry.

What is Sedative Medicine?

Sedative medicine helps relax a patient by slowing the reaction of the central nervous system. A patient is still aware of their surroundings, but less responsive to external stimuli such as sounds and smells, it also reduces their sense to pain. A dentist who is trained to implement sedation dentistry can help a patient feel comfortable in the dental chair with a variety of sedative medications administered orally and sublingually.

After taking a sedative, most people feel at ease and more relaxed. The effect a sedative has on a patient can range from mild to moderate, to unconscious, depending on the amount administered by the dentist. Sedative medication is not the same a general anesthesia – where patients are asleep. General anesthesia is only administered at the hospital. Those with busy schedules find sedation dentistry is very effective because more procedures can be done in one visit.

Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

There are a number of benefits when it comes to sedation dentistry. These include:

• Overcome dental anxiety. Patients who suffer with dental anxiety will delay treatment as long as possible. Sedation dentistry helps patients feel anxiety free and a common effect of sedative medicine is amnesia, which most patients consider a benefit.
• Pain Free. Sedation dentistry increases a person’s pain threshold, which allows the dentist to complete the procedure in a timely manner.
• Longer procedure, means less appointments. Under sedation dentistry, you will be allowed to undergo longer treatment without feeling any discomfort.
• It’s Affordable. Sedation dentistry is reasonably priced and affordable for all patients.

After receiving sedation dentistry, you will need a friend or family member to drive you home. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything six hours prior to your appointment. Your medical history may affect your before and after process. When undergoing a longer procedure, we recommend you take the rest of the day off to fully recover. Overall, most patients feel no discomfort and can go about their daily activities the day after their procedure.

Escape your dental fears by contacting Greenspoint Dental to find out about our sedation options. Sedation dentistry is extremely safe and will always be monitored by one of our experienced dental professionals. Call us today to schedule your appointment.