It won’t surprise you to learn that many people experience some level of anxiety during, or even at the thought of dental procedures.
Since most dental procedures don’t call for total unconsciousness, patients are typically conscious during a procedure. As a result, ensuring that the patient feels calm, relaxed, and free from both pain and stress during the process is vital.
It Starts With a Human Touch
Before even contemplating sedation or stress management techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation, the key to a stress-free visit to the dentist lies in a dental practitioner’s ability to foster a relationship with a patient, one built on a foundation of warmth, empathy, education, and communication. Then, during a procedure, the key lies in ensuring that the patient is calm and pain- and anxiety-free. In many cases, it’s through sedation dentistry that this is achieved.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry refers to the use of medication to help patients feel relaxed and free of pain during dental procedures. These medications re administered in different ways, with the type and dose used depending on a patient's specific needs, and the invasiveness of the procedure involved. Some of the most common types of non-general anesthesia sedation, whose effects range from mild to quite deep, include:
- Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” which is administered through a mask over the face and keeps patients relaxed and pain-free during relatively minor procedures.
- Oral sedatives are prescribed for a patient to take prior to an appointment.
- IV sedation, which is administered directly into the bloodstream, induces deeper sedation, with patients often recalling little of the actual procedure. IV sedation is most commonly used for root canals and tooth extractions.
Is Sedation Safe?
When administered by a trained professional, yes, sedation is safe. Of course, as with any medical procedure, sedation can carry risks, such as allergic reactions, and cardiovascular and respiratory problems.
So, before proceeding, it’s important that your dentist and their staff be well aware of your medical profile and any allergies from which you suffer.
Stress-Free Dentistry in Corona, CA
If you’re in the Corona area and would like to learn more about techniques for reducing dental anxiety, both in-office and at home, contact dentist Dr. Shital Patel and the Dental Care of Corona team to schedule a consultation!