According to a medical study done by Karger Research, dental anxiety, or dental fear, is estimated to affect approximately 36% of the population. Another 12% suffer from extreme dental fear. While anxiety about visiting the dentist in common (and a great many patients neglect their dental care simply because of dentist-related phobias), this can lead to serious health complications.
The good news is, dental professionals are all-too familiar with these fears and have devised unique techniques to help patients. Sedation dentistry is one of these techniques! This approach helps meet client needs while eliminating or greatly reducing dental phobias by lowering levels of anxieties and increasing comfort during specific procedures.
Sedation dentistry may be for you if you struggle with:
- Dental anxiety/phobia
- Fear of needles or drills
- Sensitivity
- Low pain tolerance, or
- Sensitive gag reflex
Sedation dentistry is not “sleep dentistry.” Trained sedation dentists use treatment options which allows patients to remain conscious. Typically, the level of consciousness is dependent on the level of fear and the type of procedure that is being done. While some patients may fall asleep, the primary goal is to customize the approach to achieve the optimal level of comfort.