Around Halloween every year, haunted houses spring up around the country.
The employees dress in scary costumes. Many times they take inspiration from popular scary movies. Chainsaws and hockey masks, striped sweaters and fedoras, ghosts and spooky noises add to the atmosphere of many “haunted” attractions.
You may even dress as something scary for Halloween.
For some people, being afraid doesn’t happen just once a year. It happens any time they have to go see the dentist.
At Beaumont Family Dentistry, we promise we aren’t scary. We just want you to get great dental care and have a healthy mouth.
We hope you’ll stop by one of our Lexington area offices, and maybe together we can help you overcome your dental fear.
You aren’t alone
Being afraid of the dentist is perfectly understandable. It’s one of the more common fears in the United States
A Google search for the phrase “dental fear” turns up 3.67 million results. And believe it or not, some dentists are afraid of going to the dentist, too.
Unfortunately, for some people, their anxiety prevents them from getting the basic care that they need. When that happens, you may end up with a dental emergency, and then you won’t have any choice about coming to see us.
We don’t want that. We would rather your first visit with us be as comfortable as possible.
You may even want to take some time to visit http://www.dentalfearcentral.org. This is a website for people who are fearful or anxious about going to the dentist.
You can find information there about common reasons people are afraid to visit the dentist, and you can find some tips to help you address those fears.
Comfort and care
Making you feel comfortable is a big part of our practice. It starts in our waiting area. You can sample fresh cookies and drink some coffee or tea.
Take a seat by our fireplace, and relax on one of our leather couches and chairs.
We also know this may not change how you feel when you get called back for your appointment. That’s why we offer blankets, headphones, paraffin treatments, and professional hand and arm massages to help take your mind off things.
Our patients also have the option of sedation dentistry, which has been proven to help you relax and remain calm throughout your treatment. This may be just the thing to make your trip to the dentist easier the handle.
We offer three types of sedation:
1. Nitrous oxide or “laughing gas”. When you take nitrous oxide, you inhale it through a mask. The gas will make you feel comfortable during your procedure.
Laughing gas both takes effect and wears off quickly. Most patients can drive home once their procedure is over. It’s also safe for children who may be anxious about coming to the dentist.
2. Oral conscious sedation. For this type of sedation, you will take a pill about an hour before your procedure. More than likely, you won’t remember much, if anything, about your treatment.
You will feel groggy and tired after it’s over, however, so you will need a family member or friend to drive you home afterwards.
3. IV sedation. This is the strongest sedation available to our patients. This is administered by a licensed professional, and we have such a professional on our staff. This is the strongest sedation we offer. You will receive this if you need a more complicated treatment.
And as with oral conscious sedation, you will need someone to drive you home.
Patience with our patients
Everybody is afraid of something, and sometimes those fears can make it hard, even impossible, to do things you know should be done.
We don’t want to rush you, but we do want your to have a healthy mouth. That’s much more likely if you practice good dental hygiene at home and you make time for regular trips to the dentist.
If it will help, just stop by or call any of our locations in Lexington:
– Beaumont office: 3141 Beaumont Centre Circle, Suite 300,
– Leestown office: 100 Trade Street, Suite 175
– Hamburg office: 2408 Sir Barton Way, Suite 225
Come see what our office is like, meet our staff, and feel free to ask questions. Sometimes a visit can help ease into getting proper care and treatment.
Please, feel free to call us at 859-223-2120 to plan your visit or use our online form. We look forward to seeing you, and we hope, with time, you’ll look forward to seeing us, too.