Many people suffer from dental anxiety or fear of the dentist. This can prevent people from getting the dental care they need because they’re afraid to make a dental appointment. At Plantation Road Dental Care, Dr. Melanie Andrews offers sedation dentistry to help people in Destrehan, LA with their fear of the dentist.
What is Dental Anxiety?
Dental anxiety is a fear of the dentist that occurs on a scale. It may be triggered by certain things about the dentist, like the sound of the drill or needles used for local anesthesia. It may be the environment in general. Dental anxiety impacts everyone in different ways. In severe cases, people avoid getting any dental treatment at all and it can be considered a phobia.
Easing Dental Anxiety
At Plantation Road Dental Care, we do our best to provide a soothing environment for our patients. We want you to be comfortable and feel at ease coming into our office for treatment. We use state of the art dental technology to make your treatment go quickly and smoothly. Amenities our offered to keep you relaxed. If these things aren’t enough, however, we do offer sedation dentistry.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation is a surefire way to make sure you can relax and make it through your dental procedure. It also makes it easier for the dentist to perform multiple procedures in one appointment. This is particularly useful if you’ve put off dental care because of your dental anxiety, as this often leads to more advanced dental complications.
At our office, we offer two kinds of sedation dentistry. One uses nitrous oxide and the other is oral conscious sedation. Before proceeding with sedation dentistry, Dr. Andrews will have a consultation with you to determine which form of sedation is best for you. She’ll take into consideration your level of anxiety, what procedures need to be done, and any past or present medical conditions you may have.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous oxide is more commonly known as laughing gas. It’s inhaled through a mask throughout the length of your treatment. You’ll often feel sleepy or giddy, letting you relax for the treatment process. With this form of sedation, most patients are eligible. The effects of the gas dissipate almost immediately when you’re not inhaling it, so you’re able to drive yourself home after the procedure.
Oral Conscious Sedation
This form of sedation requires taking a pill about an hour before you come into the office for your treatment. It’s a step up from nitrous oxide — a sedative that keeps you relaxed throughout the procedure. This sedation makes it easy for you to get multiple procedures in one appointment. Since the effects of oral sedation can last for a while, you’ll need a ride to and from your procedure.
Handling Fear of the Dentist in Destrehan, Louisiana
Those of us at Plantation Road Dental Care want to make sure you can get the dental care you need comfortably. Call us or schedule an appointment online to learn more about sedation dentistry for dental anxiety.