Dentists and Conscious Sedation

To combat patient anxiety more and more dentists are considering the benefits of conscious sedation. Individuals avoid going to the dentist for all kinds of reasons. Some worry that the procedure is going to be painful. Some can't stand to hear the sound the drill makes. Still others just don't like exam rooms. For these people conscious sedation may be the solution they have been looking for.

Taking Medication

Before being seated in the examination chair some dentists offer their patients a pill. In fact your practitioner may direct you to take it before leaving home for the appointment. Remember that if this is the case you cannot drive yourself to or from the appointment. You will need to arrange for someone else to handle your transportation.

There are several different options when it comes to taking a medicine orally. Something like Valium can be prescribed for a patient that has some type of mild anxiety. If this isn't enough for you, there are other alternatives. The most important thing to remember is that you need to share your concerns with the dentists that you are scheduled to see. If you don't tell them what worries you there is no way for them to attempt to fix.

“Laughing Gas”

Laughing may not be something that you associate with seeing the dentists in your area but when you inhale some of the medication given to you in the office, you may change your mind. You may have heard friends and family talk about going to the dentist and having the special blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen. It places you in a state of relaxation and you can sit back and get through the procedure easily.

Once your appointment is over you can go right back to our normal activities. You don't need to worry about finding someone else to take you back and forth to the appointment and you could go back to work immediately following. Even if you have a more than average anxiety, this could be a potential solution for you.

Needles and and IV

This is the perfect solution for those with a fear of dentists who aren't concerned with needles. Here the medication is sent directly to the veins. This is a much more in depth type of sedation as you believe that you are asleep. When you “wake up” chances are that you won't remember a thin. Because of this practitioners need to go through special training above and beyond the normal dental certification to be able to offer this in their offices.

Throughout the time you are monitored with machines to check your breathing as well as your heart rate. Once again you will need to have someone with you to take you to and from the appointment. When you get home you may still feel a little groggy and just want to head to sleep. This is perfectly normal.

No matter which of the methods you choose to employ, there is no need to fear going to an appointment again. Just talk with your practitioner to see what they offer. If they don't offer any of these options you may want to consider contacting another office in your area.