Sedation Dentistry Phoenix Has Makes Daunting Procedures a Breeze

Author: PV Smiles Reem Kidess | Posted on with comments

Most people freak out at the mere mention of the word dentist. Some do all they can to avoid their appointments, which unfortunately prevents them from receiving much needed dental care and treatment. Dental anxiety is actually more common than most people think. Around 25% of American adults evade regular dental visits for fear of pain and needles. As such, the American Dental Association (ADA) National Convention reported that dentists worldwide would continue to search for better ways of treating their patients.

In the meantime, there is the relatively new field of sedation dentistry—a dentist’s main tool against the grave fear of dental procedures. Sedation was first introduced in the 1800s when nitrous oxide was pioneered by Horace Wells. Many dental procedures are notorious for being excruciatingly painful. To eliminate panic and discomfort, sedation, along with anesthetics, are sometimes necessary. The use of anesthetics during sedation dentistry Paradise Valley dentists offer calms down patients and keeps the experience pain-free.

Dentists and oral surgeons administer three sedation methods for their treatments. These include oral sedation, conscious inhalation (through nitrous oxide), and intravenous (IV) sedation. In oral sedation, the patient is given a pill that helps reduce anxiety and stress. Dentists also use nitrous oxide in their procedures. Sometimes referred to as laughing gas, it is inhaled by the patient and induces the same effect as oral sedation.

Lastly, IV sedation refers to the direct injection of the medication into the bloodstream. This makes the body react faster to the sedative. Dentists who offer IV sedation dentistry in Scottsdale and other areas control their patients’ sedation levels. This is considered the main advantage of IVs over other sedation methods. However, as with any intravenous methods, this requires the use of a needle. Patients afraid of needles may then opt for other sedation methods.

Sedation dentistry has proven to be very beneficial for patients who have had traumatic experiences with dental treatments in the past. The main cause of dental anxiety is pain; by making the patient unaware of the pain, sedation dentistry enables anxiety sufferers to undergo the dental procedures integral to their oral health. While many dentists still use local anesthesia for pain management or treatments, sedation dentistry goes a notch higher.

The sedation dentistry Phoenix dentists and their colleagues can offer give patients one less reason not to visit the dentist. There is no more need to come up with excuse after excuse just to miss dental appointments.