If you’re tense or anxious every time you have a dental appointment, you should tell your dentist about it immediately. It is paramount to share your situation with your dentist so that the appropriate treatment plan will be used to address your needs. Today, there are new technologies in dentistry that will alleviate such anxieties and make every dental visit comfortable.

The source of dental anxiety varies in each individual. It could stem from painful dental procedures in the past, existing behavioral or medical problems and fear of pain, in general. There are medications available to make every dental visit as comfortable and pain-free as possible. Also, there are behavior modification strategies to put you in a relaxed state. Talking to your dentist will determine the best approach for your case.

Different types of medications and methodologies are used to relieve anxiety during dental treatment. Here are the different techniques employed by dentists to help mitigate anxiety and the pain during dental procedures.

 

  • Analgesics

Analgesics are commonly used to relieve tooth pain after a dental treatment. These include non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen. For more severe pain, narcotic analgesics like codeine are administered.

 

  • Local anesthesia

There are two kinds of local anesthesia: topical and injectable. Topical anesthetics are applied on the mouth tissues to reduce pain on the surface level. This is also utilized to prepare the area for injectable local anesthetics.

Injectable local anesthetics are administered to prevent pain in a specific area on the mouth during treatment. It causes temporary numbness in the mouth tissues by blocking the nerves responsible for sensing pain. Injectable anesthetics are generally administered in dental procedures like extraction, dental filling and preparing the teeth for crown replacement.

 

Sedatives such as nitrous oxide act as anti-anxiety agents to put the patient in a more relaxed state during dental visits. The complexity of the patient’s case determines whether these sedatives shall be administered before, during or after the dental procedure. The patient achieves a relaxed state but can respond to verbal cues. Certain procedures require general anesthesia or deep sedation as in the case of patients who suffer from severe anxiety, young children and people who have medical conditions such as those who are unable to control their movements. Deep sedation induces a loss of consciousness in order to minimize pain and anxiety while general anesthesia causes temporary loss of consciousness.

It is important to understand the risks and your options in treating anxiety and pain during dental procedures. Your dentist is in the best position to educate you on oral health and dental concerns in regards to anxiety and fear. Working with your dentist to address these issues early on will ensure that your dental visit and treatments will be safe, painless and comfortable as possible.

Contact our Ft. Lauderdale dentists at sleepdentists.com for more information about reducing and completely eliminating anxiety during dental visits.