Let’s be honest: sometimes getting yourself or a loved one to the dentist’s office can be like…well, pulling teeth. No one knows that better than those who work in the dental health profession! After all, we are here to meet all of your oral care needs during treatment and that includes your comfort.
Dental anxiety is different from general anxiety. It’s specific to dental visits and treatments and is very common. Your friends at Fairchance Dental Arts can provide relaxing treatments using sedation dentistry that will help you get the care you need, despite dental anxiety.
Overview of Dental Anxiety
While it might seem ridiculous in terms of scale, dentistry as a medical discipline predates the study of anxiety by quite a bit. Just how long? Well, some studies suggested that Neanderthals used flint tools to deal with tooth infections while the term “stress” wasn’t adopted in a medical sense until the 1930s.
This is just a bit of background information to help premise the fact that anxiety disorders are still a fairly recent and evolving medical area of study. So while it is natural that everyone feels anxiety occasionally (a sense of intense stress, panic, or fear), a disorder or phobia is when these feelings occur to the extreme, to the point of interfering with daily life or overall health.
It’s Normal to Be Scared of the Dentist
Conversations about mental health can be difficult, but rest assured you aren’t alone when it comes to dental anxiety. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, over 30% of Americans suffer from dental anxiety. That doesn’t include the 12% of the population that has such an extreme reaction it is officially classified as a phobia!
The major causes behind dental anxiety are rather predictable: negative experiences at the dentist’s in the past, a sense of confinement in the dental chair, or simply the unfamiliar setting. However, dental anxiety is problematic because it compounds the very issues that dental care professionals can treat or even help you avoid in the first place!
When someone avoids routine dental visits due to anxiety, they will only visit the dentist when their oral health is suffering a dental crisis. A self-fulfilling prophecy that the dentist’s office is more like the emergency room rather than a welcoming doctor’s office.
Sedation Dentistry for Stress-Free Treatments
With dental anxiety being such a common problem, you better believe that your friends at Fairchance Dental Arts have already adopted a solution. After all, we can’t be your home for a beaming smile if dental anxiety keeps you away from our office!
That is where sedation dentistry comes in.
Sedation dentistry (also known as “twilight dentistry” at some practices) is a method of medically assisted relaxation, reducing muscle tension and anxiety. You won’t be unconscious, but rather in a deep, relaxed state that many patients describe as a trance. It is always paired with the recommended anesthesia, making treatments seem like a dream (hence the nickname “twilight dentistry”).
Does Sedation Dentistry Only Help Dental Anxiety?
Sedation dentistry can be seen as a godsend for anyone suffering from dental anxiety, allowing them to get the dental care they deserve without any unnecessary stress. But it can also provide many benefits to a variety of patients who don’t experience dental anxiety.
Consider discussing your sedation treatment options during consultation if any of the following apply:
- You or a loved one suffer from dental anxiety (naturally).
- You have difficulty sitting still for extended periods.
- You are planning on a longer procedure (deep cleaning, dental implant, etc.).
- You have a high tolerance to anesthetics.
- You have a low pain threshold.
Eliminate Your Dental Anxiety by Contacting Our Office Today!
The wonderful residents of Fairchance know our office is their home for a beaming smile. Thanks to our sedation dentistry options, you can now get that beaming smile as comfortably as possible! Get rid of dental anxiety and get the smile you deserve by scheduling a consultation today.
