There is a deep seated fear involved wherever dental treatments are concerned. You might be having anxiety attacks that are based on certain pathological phobias such as a fear of needles. It can also be developed from a bad dental treatment experience, especially during your childhood. These feelings tend to stick with you and become problematic when you really are in need of dental treatment. Sedation dentistry has allowed dentists to treat their patients despite their many phobias and traumas and anxiety attacks. They make use of various levels of anesthesia to help you relax during the course of your treatment.
Getting over the fears
With all the modern advances in dentistry, the treatments are getting less invasive and make use of a variety of modern technologies. Your fear of dental treatments will pass once you have a positive experience under sedation dentistry. In Texas, a larger section of the populace have been able to get over their dental treatment phobias and undergone dental treatments they need.
How can sedation dentistry help?
Sedation dentistry allows patients to stay sedated during their treatments. They are not likely to feel a thing during the entire procedure. But since sedation carries some risks, your dentist will have to review your entire medical history and make sure that you are suited for sedation dentistry. It will also help determine the right level of sedation needed for the treatment.
Typically there are four levels of sedation that your dental care professional will recommend for you. It is divided by the condition of the patient during each stage. The first level is conscious sedation where the anesthetic is targeted at the affected area. The patient is drowsy but conscious during the entire process. The second level makes the patient tend to fall asleep but is generally conscious. The third level is applied intravenously, and the patient is asleep – but can be woken by the dentist or nurse at a moment’s notice. The final stage is general anesthesia and this is kept for the most intense cases and complex surgeries. The patient is completely asleep and cannot be woken up halfway.
Based on your medical history, your dental care professional will advise you on the best level of sedation that will work on you.
Dental Treatment and anxiety
Most dental treatments are associated with a lot of pain. This is common as the mouth is one of the most sensitive areas in the human body. Even minor routine treatments like extractions can cause intense pain in your teeth and gums.
All of this can be easily avoided with sedation dentistry. Most of the anxiety and panic felt by patients are typically based on fear of feeling pain. Being sedated takes this out of the equation and you can experience a positive treatment experience.
