If you have ever had a bad dental experience, it can leave you with feelings of anxiety and fear.
In spite of that, you probably know that you and your family need to see the dentist for professional cleanings and examinations. If you live in or near Lexington, we encourage you to consider Beaumont Family Dentistry for your dental care.
Coming into the dentist office can be a big step if you have high anxiety. We will walk you through the process one step at a time. We offer sedation dentistry to help you remain calm and comfortable throughout your visit. When you can relax, we can provide you with better care, and that’s good your oral health.
Reasons to consider sedation dentistry
Dental anxiety comes from a lot of places. Sedation dentistry at any of our offices in Lexington can help you or someone in your family to overcome that fear.
Here are some of the reasons you may want to consider sedation dentistry, especially if your dental fear has kept you from visiting the dentist:
- General anxiety
As we mentioned, you may have had a bad experience or just heard bad things about dentists at some point in your life. If this imprinted in your mind, then it may cause you to become anxious thinking about dental care.
- Fear of gagging
According to livescience.org, 10-15 percent of the population has a hypersensitive gag reflex. If you are one of these people, the dentist office may be pretty intimidating. People will be sticking tools and fingers into your mouth. Just the thought of those things may make you uncomfortable.
- Sensitive teeth
Just as some people are more prone to gag then others, some people have sensitive teeth. It’s also possible that your tooth sensitivity is a result of poor oral hygiene (which makes it more important to see the dentist).
- Fear of needles
This may not count as dental fear specifically, but dentists sometimes use needles to deliver local anesthetic. This is not a common occurrence for a routine cleaning, but if you worry that your teeth or gums could warrant additional care, this fear could prevent you from making a dental appointment.
- Need for a lengthy treatment
Even if you don’t experience dental fear, it’s likely that you will receive some kind of sedation if you are coming for a more complicated procedure.
Types of sedation
Sedation dentistry allows you to feel calm throughout your treatment. A calm patient will receive better care because the dentist or hygienist will be able to focus on the treatment, instead of worrying about the patient.
Depending on your level of dental anxiety and the type of treatment you are receiving, we offer three types of sedation dentistry.
- Nitrous oxide
You may have heard this called happy gas or laughing gas. When you breathe it in, it quickly induces a sense of relaxation. Some patients may feel like they have fallen asleep. Others may remain somewhat aware of what’s happening, although the gas allows them to remain at ease.
One benefit of nitrous oxide is that it wears off shortly after we turn off the gas. This means you can continue with work or other plans after your treatment is over.
- Oral conscious sedation
This is a more potent than nitrous oxide. With this type of sedation, you take a valium (which is an anti-anxiety medication) about an hour before your procedure.
Depending on your dose, you may either feel relaxed but aware of your surroundings, groggy, or sleepy.
A member of our staff will perform your treatment while you are medicated. When it is over, you will need a family member or friend to take you home. The effects of this type of sedation last for a while, so you should plan to rest when you get home.
- IV sedation
This is the most powerful sedation we offer. This is given to patients who are undergoing the most complex procedures. Dr. Ryan Golibersuch has completed the training to administer this type of sedation safely and effectively.
With IV sedation, you will not remember your procedure, but you will receive the benefits of having it. As with oral conscious sedation, you should arrange to have someone else drive you home, and you should plan to rest when you get home.
Helping you face your fear
If you or someone in your family needs a little help to receive dental care, sedation is a great option. We know that dental anxiety is very real for some patients, and we want to provide you with the best care than we can. Sedation makes that possible.
The staff at all our Beaumont Family Dentistry offices in Lexington are dedicated to providing comfortable, quality care for you and your family. To find out how sedation dentistry can help, call any of our offices or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment.