Does the thought of getting work done on your teeth leave you feeling anxious or full of dread? Fear of the dental chair is highly common and between 9 and of the population in the United States avoids going to the dentist because of dental anxiety, putting their oral health at great risk.
While our staff here at Smile Time Dental loves seeing our Houston area patients, we know the feeling is not always mutual. If you count yourself among the 30-40 million people who would rather do most anything than come see us, we’ve got great news: We offer sedation dentistry to help you relax so you can get the dental care you need.
If you’d like to explore why sedation dentistry is a panacea for those who suffer from dental anxiety, read on to learn more.
Sit back and relax
Fear and anxiety are largely immune to reason or rational thought — it doesn’t matter how many great arguments you have about a spider not being dangerous or scary, it won’t matter to the average arachnophobe who has little control over their fear.
The same can be said of dental fear and anxiety, except in this instance, you’re putting your health in jeopardy, which means you need to find a way around or through your fear.
Rather than stuffing down your feelings in order to come see us, which usually only creates more anxiety, take advantage of the sedation dentistry techniques we offer. We prefer that you spend your time in our chair in a fully relaxed state, allowing us to look after your dental health.
To do this, Dr. Rosita Hamidi first sits down with you to discuss your concerns and comes up with a solution that best fits your needs and your comfort level.
Taking the edge off
If your anxiety levels aren’t terribly high, but they do cause you some discomfort, we can provide you with an oral sedative that you can take before you come in to see us. The mild sedative takes the edge off your fear and puts you into a more relaxed state, calming your racing heart and your anxious thoughts.
All too often, anxiety can snowball and the “what if” thoughts become louder and more irrational. The mild sedative quells these thoughts, allowing you to sit back and relax more easily. Some of our patients even feel a little drowsy and nod off while we go to work.
If you go this route, you should plan on having someone drive you to and from the appointment.
Laugh it off
If you have a moderate fear of dental work, we also offer laughing gas, which puts you in more of a euphoric state. We deliver the gas through a mask, and we control the amount you receive during your time in our chair. One of the greatest benefits of this type of sedation is that when we remove the mask, the gas wears off very quickly, and you can even drive yourself home afterward.
A stronger solution
If your dental anxiety is fairly strong, we offer IV sedation, which we deliver straight into your bloodstream for an immediate and stronger effect. We can control the amount of the sedative we use, making any necessary adjustments while you’re with us. If you opt for this technique, you’ll need someone to drive you home from your appointment.
Smile, it’s over
Whichever sedation technique we settle on, rest assured that our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible. Not only does sedation dentistry relieve your anxiety, it also prevents you from feeling much of anything during your appointment. This gives us the opportunity to go in and do any work necessary to preserve your dental health, which ultimately means that you’ll visit us less. It’s a win-win proposition that will have you smiling from ear to ear with strong, healthy teeth.
If you’d like to explore our sedation dentistry a little further, please feel free to give us a call, or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool on this website.