Dental phobia is one of the common fear in the health sector. It affects both adults and kids alike and deters many patients from seeking dental care services. Luckily, there are various ways to deal with dental phobia. This allows you to undergo various procedures in a relaxed and more comfortable way. A perfect example is a dental sedation, which is gaining popularity in the health industry. Is it an ideal solution to dental fear? Let’s find out.
What’s dental sedation?
Sedation helps minimize pain and discomfort during dental procedures. The dentist administers sedatives to keep you calm and comfortable during the procedure. The common sedatives used include tranquilizers, anti-anxiety drugs, or nitrous oxide. In the past, sedatives were administered intravenously, but the fear of the needle makes many anxious.
With advances in dental health, needles are no longer used in dental sedation. Nowadays, Smiles on Queen family dentists use oral sedatives upon request by a patient. And this relaxes your body and enhances comfort during the procedure.
Is sedation the best solution to dental fear?
Dental sedation benefits a patient in myriad ways. There are different types of sedation, and these differ depending on the level of sedation required. The common options include;
- Oral sedation
- Inhaled sedation
- IV sedation
- General anesthesia
All have various benefits, which include;
1. Anxiety alleviation
The most beneficial element of sedation dentistry is the relief of dental anxiety. This allows patients to go through different dental procedures e and minimizes the likelihood of missing dental appointments.
There are two types of dental fear; some patients experience minor anxiety while others feel paralyzed by the fear of an oral procedure. Although everyone can benefit from sedation, the more anxious a patient is before the treatment, the more the anesthetic will help.
2. Pain relief
Most people have dental phobia, and tooth or gum discomfort is unpleasant. The good news is that sedation dentistry can help alleviate all the pain. While under strong sedatives and anesthetics, the brain cannot register pain.
Sedation dentistry is also referred to as sleep dentistry, although both are different. Sleep dentistry uses general anesthesia to put a patient in a state of sleep, while sedation is administered depending on the severity and duration of the procedure.
3. Sedation allows for a faster procedure.
Under dental sedation, you’re more comfortable, allowing the dentist to perform the procedure with ease. You’ll unlikely squirm or keep moving your chair, which eases the process for you and the dentist. Therefore, dental sedation allows medical practitioners to work faster.
4. Reduces gag reflex
A gag reflex is good for your throat and helps discharge any intrusive object. However, it can hinder dental procedures since the dentist may need to go deep into your throat. In this case, the gag reflex prevents the dentist from going deep inside the oral cavity. And this is where sedation comes in. It helps counteract the gag reflex, allowing the dentist to work faster and more efficiently.
In summary, dental sedation is an excellent solution to dental fear and anxiety. It improves your comfort and relieves pain that could hinder a dental procedure. With sedation, the dentist works faster and with ease, making the entire process more comfortable.