For those of you who read my last blog, you know I'm discussing dental fear. Because dental fear IS NOT a laughing matter, this blog cannot be as light hearted as earlier blogs.
The most important thing you can do is make your dentist aware of your fear and anxiety. Ladies are better at this than men; the more I know about your fear and anxieties the more I can help. Macho men are the most difficult to treat because they won't say they are hurting, I ask can I give you more anesthetic and they say NO! Really, you would rather be in pain than give me permission to numb the area better. I'm sorry but there is a reason why men are the weaker sex.
What can be done for fearful patients? We have several options, the most common over the last 40 years is laughing gas. No, laughing gas doesn't make you laugh. I'll tell the story on how it got its name in another blog.
Valium works very well for people who have a little anxiety and want to take the edge off.
Oral Conscious Sedation works great for fearful patients who haven't been to the dentist for a long time and want to get their work done in the least amount of visits as possible.
I.V. sedation, this is the deepest sedation and is good for short visits like wisdom teeth, or the extremely phobic/fearful patient.
Dentistry has changed dramatically in the 30 years that I have been involved with it, and when we are a team working together. We can make your experience more pleasurable.
Dr. G
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