For over 100 million Americans the thought of going to the dentist evokes reactions that border on anxiety attacks. This keeps many of them from seeking routine dental care, by not seeking routine dental care they realize their own fears by waiting until they are already in pain, making the visit as painful as they assumed it would be. Today's dentists practice sedation dentistry that is designed especially for these types of people; it allows them to be completely relaxed before the visit and during the visit.
To make sure that their patients are fully relaxed, the first step in sedation dentistry is to bring the patient in to the office and have a preliminary conference. At this conference the dentist will talk to the patient and find out about their individual fears so that he can adjust his treatments accordingly. He will then sit and explain everything that the patient needs to have done and if possible, with the patient's permission, will do an initial perfunctory exam. He will then prescribe a sedative for the patient.
This is for the patient to take the night before so that they sleep well.
If the patient is going to take part in sedation dentistry he must be accompanied by a licensed driver to make sure that he is not trying to drive as the effects of the sedative that is taken the night before have most likely not worn off making it unsafe to drive. On top of this most patients will be given an additional sedative at the dentist's office to ensure total relaxation both before and during the procedures.
Once at the appointment the patient will be most likely be given an additional sedative to help them relax and many dentists now offer additional relaxation techniques as a part of the total sedation dentistry package.
Many of these techniques involved specially designed rooms that have massage chairs and aromatherapy to help the patient to relax and feel more comfortable with being at the dentist's office.
In the dental treatment room the patient may be offered more than one choice of medication to help with the pain of the procedure. Most dentists are now much more sympathetic to their patients and want to make sure that each visit leaves them satisfied and feeling no pain. As little pain and anxiety as possible are the main goals of sedation dentistry. Pain relieving options may include the use of an oral sedative that leaves you conscious but in a state of heightened relaxation to the point that you do not feel pain or anxiety.
Other options for sedation dentistry include the use of nitrous oxide; this is a gas that is designed to put the patient gently to sleep so that the dentist can take care of their teeth while you sleep. When you wake up the work will be complete and they will have experienced none of the stress or pain associated with it. If the dentist chooses this option an additional adult must accompany the patient to make sure that they can get home safely as nitrous oxide has after effects that may render the patient sleepy for a period of time after the dentist is done.
For the latest in sedation dentistry techniques patients should choose a dentist that is registered with Dental Relaxation, the dentist they list are fully certified and offer the patient as warm relaxing environment to make each visit as painless and worry free as possible.
