Lose Dental Fears

Many people have an unjustifiable fear of the dentist. It’s often so bad that some don’t visit the dentist for years. When they do eventually pick up the cell phone to make an appointment it’s probably because they are experiencing tooth ache and need to seek a rapid solution. Children overhear parents joking over dental procedures they have had that were quite painful, or even kids at school shoot a joke about painful encounters in the dentist’s chair.

All these sorts of experiences show that there are many people who are simply too afraid to go the dentist. Fortunately, plenty of research has gone into methods of alleviating the fears or those who are typically too afraid of picking up the phone and booking an appointment to get much needed dental treatment. It’s such a common problem that there are now several solutions available. Many of which are available at Fine Dentistry of Downtown Orlando.

How Dentists Treat Frightened Patients

Your dentist handles people from all walks of life, every single day, so if you are one of those people who keep delaying going to the dentist because of your inbuilt fear, your dentist will recognize this as soon as you walk through the door.

The first step that will be taken is relating to you with a smile, so that you feel more at ease. Often, all those fears vanish, and you start to relax and feel you have more control over your anxiety. Dentists try to make their room feel non-threatening by playing light music or even securing an overhead TV screen to help distract the person from the examination and treatment that is taking place. Toys may be available to help relax frightened children.

If this gentle dentist approach doesn’t work and your dentist thinks at any moment fear is going to get the better of you and you are likely to get up out of the chair and bolt, there are other proven calming methods available to keep you in one place.

The dental team at Fine Dentistry of Downtown Orlando has devised a range of methods to help console nervous patients. That’s through the use of sedation which can help the person relax and reduce levels of stress that are interfering with important dental treatment.

Types of Dental Sedation

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas is considered safe and effective for sedation purposes when it’s mixed with oxygen. It’s inhaled using a mask that fits over the nose and helps you to relax. Patients usually begin to experience the effects of inhaling the gas in around 2 to 5 minutes after inhalation. This could result in a lightheaded feeling and sometimes giggling takes place.

Oral Conscious Sedation

This is a method used when your dentist recommends taking a pill around 60 minutes before your treatment begins. Typically, the common one that is offered is Halcion, which is part of the Valium drug family. The effects of this are quite mild but you will feel a little drowsy. Your dentist may want you to be a bit more relaxed and offer you a bigger dose, which could result in you nodding off momentarily, but a nudge will quickly awaken you. You may need help to get home after completion of the treatment.

IV Sedation

This is when a drug is given to you intravenously which quickly takes effect. You will be partially aware and will be able to react when spoken to, but you will feel very sleepy. Many people prefer this semi-conscious method of sedation as time flies while treatment is taking place.

General Anesthetic

This will put you to sleep completely for the duration of the dental treatment. You won’t know what’s going on and it takes a little longer to wear off after the treatment has been completed, so you may not be able to drive yourself home.

Apart from using various techniques to alleviate fear, your dentist will still need to numb the area which is likely to be affected by the treatment. This is not so much to relax you but is for the alleviation of pain in and around the area where treatment is taking place.

The dentists at Fine Dentistry of Downtown Orlando always make the effort to ensure their patients feel as comfortable as possible while undergoing treatment. If you fear going to the dentist, you can discuss sedation options with the dentist you choose as this maybe the only way you can access the treatment you need. Contact us today to find out more!