According to the statistics, dental anxiety (or dental fear) affects 36% of the population, and another 12% suffer from extreme dental fear. That’s almost half of Americans who have a fear of going to the dentist in wicker park.
In fact, these are real people who have real fears, not just numbers. If you’re one of these people, you need a dentist who will address your fears, treat you with compassion, and provide you with options designed to ease your anxiety.
That’s exactly what we do at Urban Smile Dental. We use sedation dentistry to ease your mind and body as you receive a dental cleaning or procedure.
This is how it works.
What is sedation dentistry?
Sedation dentistry uses medicines to help patients relax before and during dental procedures. By using this service, people with dental phobias can receive the dental care they desperately need.
Dentists help determine if you can benefit from sedation dentistry. Sedation may be necessary depending on your physical and mental health, as well as any other issues. Issues that may require sedation include:
- Low tolerance for pain
- Strong gag reflex
- Sensitive teeth
- Inability to sit still in the dentist’s chair
- Inability to sit still in the dentist’s chair
Also, sedation dentistry may prove helpful if you need a large amount of dental work that will take a long time to complete.
3 Types of sedation medicine
There are generally 3 types of sedation medicine that dentists use:
Inhaled sedation
The lowest level of sedation is this type. Nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing gas”) is breathed through a mask placed over your nose. This gas relaxes your body without putting you to sleep. After the procedure, you can even drive yourself home because the side effects wear off quickly.
Oral sedation
It is the most common form of anesthesia used for sedation, and its effects can range from mild to moderate. You should take it about an hour before your procedure. The drug makes you feel drowsy and can even cause you to fall asleep, though you can easily be roused.
In the case of oral sedation, you must arrange for someone to drive you home after the procedure.
Intravenous (IV) sedation
If you need a more involved or serious procedure, IV sedation might be a good option for you. Sedatives are injected directly into a vein, so they work more quickly to relax you. If you are going to undergo this type of sedation, you should also arrange for transportation home.
Sedation dentistry is something Urban Smile Dental offers, so if you’re looking for a sedation dentistry team, we’re here to help. Set up your initial consultation by calling our Urban Smile Dental Chicago, or use our convenient online scheduling tool.