The Importance of Visiting an Oral Sedation Dentist

As an oral sedation dentist in Columbia, we understand the power of dental anxiety. It can prevent people from visiting the dentist for even a standard cleaning, much less to have a cracked, or chipped tooth corrected. This is a significant problem because when people do have a dental issue, having it fixed right away prevents it from becoming worse. Still, according to an article published by Colgate, somewhere between 9 and 15 percent of U.S. adults have severe dental anxiety. This is where we come in. We practice gentle dentistry and use sedation so that dental appointments can be pleasant, rather than stressful.

An oral sedation dentist can help a large portion of the population.

According to Colgate, between 30 and 40 million Americans suffer from dental anxiety and of this group, 36 percent do not see the dentist because of anxiety. In our office, we aim to address this problem and provide a solution for those that need dental care but have been too afraid to get it. When you visit our office, we can provide you with sedation so that you can be comfortable and anxiety-free during the dental appointment.

The types of sedation used by an oral sedation dentist.

We can give patients something to ease their anxiety before even sitting in the dental chair. We find that a large portion of the population is more afraid of visiting the dentist than those that actually experience discomfort. It is the fear and anxiety that causes people to delay an appointment or avoid it entirely. By prescribing an oral sedative (pill) to take ahead of time, we can alleviate these fears so that the patient can relax and approach the appointment feeling good about the situation.

Another type of oral sedative is laughing gas or nitrous oxide, which is an ideal solution as well and will also help you to relax or unwind. By eliminating the feelings of tension, fear and anxiety, we make it possible for you, our patients, to receive regular dental care. One thing to keep in mind is that an oral sedative is to help you relax. If a patient is undergoing a cavity treatment, we may also give the patient direct pain medication in order to numb the area of the mouth that we are treating. The pain medication can help ensure that the individual relaxes and is comfortable during the procedure. Since we localize the medication to that specific area of the mouth, the patient can continue to speak without much of an issue as soon as the appointment is over. We can make it easy for patients to return to work after the procedure if they need.

We understand that each of our patients is unique and so are their needs. We will take the time to listen to your concerns, learn about your dental anxieties and create a plan to address them before you have any procedures done. We can create a game plan that ensures your complete comfort.