Dental anxiety is an extremely common feeling. According to the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation in the US, 30% of the population avoid the dentist due to fear. It is safe to assume this percentage would be similar in Canada. Being scared of a dentist can potentially be dangerous for your oral and overall health as you might delay visits to your dentist and be at risk of developing serious dental issues.
It is advisable to go to the dentist like Londons best dentists at least twice a year and if you have any form of anxiety then booking these two visits into your calendar (and keeping them!) is important. Having anxiety is common but it is important to develop coping strategies so it does not impact other aspects of your life. If dental problems are neglected, they will become worse; they never just go away. Regular dental check-ups can prevent problems from developing. Being scared of going to the dentist is relatively normal but you should face these fears at least twice a year, whether it be by going to Scottsdale Dental Care or any other dentist near you.
A phobia is a profound dread or terror of a specific situation or thing. It is way out of proportion to any real danger or threat. Some people have a phobia about injection needles, or about going to the dentist. They may become panic stricken or immobilized with fear at the prospect. Although this fear is unreasonable and irrational, it is nevertheless very real to the person experiencing it. It requires patience and understanding to help with this problem.
Impatience, or telling people to pull themselves together, is unhelpful. Because the fear is irrational, reasoning with the patient or explaining the situation, won’t help very much.
Can sedation or sleep dentistry help?
Nitrous oxide for relaxation
There are several methods that have been proven to be successful in treating dental phobia. For mild anxiety, deep breathing techniques or visualization can be helpful. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) can be very beneficial for people with mild-moderate dental anxiety.
For those with dental phobia, the best method is to undergo sleep dentistry. Sleep dentistry allows people who would normally try and avoid the dentist to enjoy a relaxing and anxiety-free dental experience. Sleep dentistry, also known as sedation dentistry, utilizes safe levels of sedative to relax patients during their dental visit. Sedation can be administered orally or intravenously, and sometimes in conjunction with nitrous oxide. While you are not technically asleep, patients often describe the experience as seeming sleep-like. You’ll barely remember coming to your appointment; the only proof that you’ll have that you were there, will be your beautiful smile. Throughout the entire process, your vitals will be monitored. The major benefit of sleep dentistry is the ability to make people feel like their dental treatment is over within a few minutes while in actuality, the treatment may take several hours to perform.
If you or anyone you know suffers from dental anxiety or phobia, visit our sedation dentistry page and ask about the use of nitrous oxide or sleep dentistry.