Sedation Dentist - No Fear, No Pain

There are many adults who absolutely loathe a trip to the dentist and will avoid going at any cost. Their fear and anxiety about climbing into the chair may make it an impossibility to do so. Years will go by without a cleaning or a checkup, as even these routine visits can cause feelings of panic and stress. One traumatic experience in childhood with an unsympathetic doctor can result in a person avoiding dental care in the future.

It is estimated that 20% of the general population have a fear of the dentist. For some of these people, any form of dental care is impossible to endure. Even the thought or suggestion of a simple, routine teeth cleaning can prove to be an anxiety-inducing event. A scheduled appointment to examine an aching tooth or painful gums may be cancelled, rescheduled, and canceled again multiple times before the courage is mustered to follow through on the appointment, possibly with the help of a friend or family member providing moral support. A sedation dentist may be able to change the perception these people hold of what dental care can be like today.

Proper dental care is vital in order to maintain a person's health. A regular checkup can reveal signs of various diseases and help to prevent an oral infection from spreading and potentially leading to death. And while most people understand the necessity of proper dental care, stress and fear are enough of a reason to continue to avoid the visits. A sedation dentist can work with a patient to alleviate these feelings, and assist with building doctor/ patient trust.

A sedation dentist is required to receive additional training, often times provided by DOCS Education, in order to practice conscious sedation on patients. Some states insist the doctor's staff members also partake in this training if they will assist with sedation while monitoring the patient's vital signs.

Oral sedation is administered by mouth, under the tongue or intravenously. This is a mild sedative (Anxiolysis) used to help with anxiety or a long procedure. While sedated, the patient may feel sleepy, but is able to breathe on their own, while they enjoy the experience of feeling both relaxed and peaceful. The most common form of sedative is inhaled through a small mask - Nitrous Oxide, a.k.a. laughing gas. This gas will calm the patient, while raising their pain threshold.

For patients who have previously avoided any dentistry, the choice to see a sedation dentist may be a perfect solution to gaining control over their fear. Because dental hygiene has been neglected for several years, multiple procedures may be necessary in order to restore the patient's dental health, so use of a sedative can allow for the time needed to get the work done. Instead of scheduling 2 or more visits, 1 longer appointment will afford the opportunity to complete as much work as possible without causing the patient discomfort. A sedation dentist is available in nearly every city in the country, so fear is no longer a reason to neglect dental hygiene.