subject: Sedation Dentistry: Helping People Cope With Fear [print this page] Although most people know that visiting their dentist is essential to achieve optimal oral health, some of them choose not to visit their dentist or even consider cosmetic dentistry Chicago offers. One of the reasons of missing dental appointments is fear. This is not only common among children, but also among adults as they never get over their fear since childhood.
Dentists are often portrayed as someone who causes nothing but pain to the patient. People often think of dentists as controlling individuals holding drills and needles. This notion sends shivers on anyones spine which make them decide not to visit their dentist. To address this issue, dentists are now employing techniques to reduce fear to persuade them to visit more often.
These techniques are known as sedation dentistry which consists of different methods to help patients of all ages overcome their fear for at least an hour during the procedure. Aside from overcoming fear, patients will also feel comfortable during the procedure. In some cases, they wont even remember the procedure due to amnesic effect of some sedatives.
One of the techniques of sedation dentistry Chicago dentists use on most patients is nitrous oxide gas, also known as laughing gas. Dentists will let their patients inhale the gas that can cause numbness around the surgical area. It also calms down the patient to prevent panic attacks during the procedure. The patient will stay conscious and before they knew it, the procedure is over. Laughing gas is usually preferred by patients who have fear of needles.
If the patient wants to forget about the entire procedure, general anesthesia can be the best option. This technique is often used on a small percentage of people who are not good candidates for sedation dentistry. Dosages of general anesthesia usually depend on the duration of the procedure and patients needs. Those who will be receiving general anesthesia should be accompanied by a responsible guardian who will drive them home.
Aside from laughing gas and general anesthesia, patients may also consider Intravenous (IV) sedation and oral sedation which are easier to administer and can produce the same effects. IV sedation involves injecting sedatives, while oral sedation involves taking oral medication before the procedure. With sedation dentistry, oral treatments such as painless laser dentistry Chicago can offer will never be that traumatic for patients. There will be no discomfort during the procedure and patients will eventually realize that dental appointments are not scary after all. For more inquiries, you can always consult your dentist regarding sedation dentistry.
