Dental phobia is a real problem. As many as 9-20% of Americans avoid dental visits due to anxiety. Sedation dentistry is one common approach to helping patients manage their fear of the dentist.
While often used interchangeably, there are actually shades of difference between dental anxiety and dental phobia. Dental phobia is more serious, causing people to panic and display classic avoidance behavior. Dental phobes often experience symptoms such as crying or physical illness at the thought of going to the dentist, difficulty sleeping before a dental visit, intense feelings of stress that worsen in the waiting room, and adverse physical reactions to dental implements.
Some of the common reasons for dental anxiety and phobia include a variety of fears. The ideal way to deal with the following fears is to discuss them with the dentist.
Those who experience dental anxiety generally report symptoms such as unusual sweating, a racing heartbeat, heart palpitations, signs of panic, visible levels of distress, uncontrollable crying, low blood pressure, and feelings of faintness or actual loss of consciousness.
Some victims of dental anxiety or phobia display behavioral changes, such as emotional withdrawal. Others use humor to hide their anxiety, and still, others become argumentative or even combative. Those with dental anxiety find it physically impossible to voluntarily submit to dental treatment, and as a result, often cancel or skip their dental appointments to avoid undergoing scheduled procedures.
Sedation dentistry uses medication to assist in the relaxation of patients. While it is occasionally called "sleep dentistry," this title is inaccurate as patients are generally awake during their procedure.
Sedation levels may be minimal, in which you are relaxed but awake; moderate, which results in a deeper state of relaxation that often causes slurred words and the inability to remember the procedure; and deep sedation, which places you at the border of consciousness with the ability to wake as needed.
The process of sedation dentistry is relatively safe and appropriate for people who have anxiety that prevents them from receiving proper dental care.
Dental visits and associated treatments are critical to your overall health. If you have anxiety that is keeping you from your regular dental appointments, ask your dentist if sedation dentistry is the right choice for you.
Request an appointment here: https://siegertdental.com or call Siegert Dental at (608) 394-3943 for an appointment in our Onalaska office.
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Dental anxiety is an extremely common condition among American adults. Sedation dentistry is frequently used as an option to help settle patients' nerves and ensure they do not skip critical appointments and procedures out of stress or fear. Sedation dentistry is the use of medication to relax a patient during a dental procedure. The medicine…
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