Dental Anxiety? No Worries!

A recent study case has shown that some people avoid going to the dentist altogether out of fear of pain. Others will flinch at the slightest swab or poke. The study delved into the proper times and circumstances to use sedatives during procedures.

The study looked at a sampling of patients in a group of endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgeons. They found that, on average, these doctors were using a moderate amount of sedation on more than 54% of their patients specifically to help ease anxieties during procedures.

Moderate sedation works by suppressing your brain’s responses to pain and stress and anxiety while keeping you conscious so that you may communicate with your dentist. Dentists may combine the sedation with local anesthesia to help control more of the pain.

On top of helping with anxiety, sedation can help patients with a fear of needles, severe gag reflexes, claustrophobia, and even overcome local anesthesia failures.

The catch is, however, that most endodontic training does not train or qualify endodontists for certification to administer moderate sedation. This blocks out a large potential for patient care.

But the training and curriculums are training, and a new wave of guidelines are emerging to help provide the best patient care possible, even for those with anxieties.

If you have anxieties, and put off seeing your dentist because of it, talk to your friendly Valencia dentist. They are understanding, and can go over all the possible options available to give you a safe, comfortable experience. Your happiness and health is their priority.