We’ve all had that sinking feeling when making a trip to the doctor; you’re dealing with a symptom you don’t understand and fear the worst, or it’s an embarrassing problem you want to avoid sharing with others. However, many other reasons lead people to avoid medical visits, too, including long wait times, medical costs, distrust of doctors, and fear of getting an illness.
Whatever the reason, avoiding the doctor can lead to getting sicker, and if you’re one of the nine to 20% of people dealing with dental anxieties or phobias, those fears will only make the problems you have worse. Fortunately, there are ways to manage the effects of these fears, including one of our options, sedation dentistry. Let’s discover the benefits of its use in anxious patients.
If you live in the Newberg, Oregon, area and you’re fearful of dental visits, Dr. Kyle Kern and his experienced medical team use methods like sedation dentistry to ease anxieties and help you get the care you need.
Nervousness about dental appointments is normal, but when it prevents you from attending, it becomes a problem. Around 36% of the population has these anxiety issues, and while less severe than dental phobia, reasons like fear of pain, non-working injections, side effects of anesthesia, loss of personal space, embarrassment, and loss of control still make life difficult.
Common signs of anxiety include panic attacks, heart palpitations, hypotension (low blood pressure), feeling faint, crying, extreme sweating, and aggressive behavior. People deal with these anxieties differently; some can make the trip to get work done despite them, while others are unable to overcome their fears.
Sedation dentistry focuses on relaxation, and when you’re highly agitated about something, calming you down becomes the top priority to make things easier for everyone. After consultation on the anxiety issues, we determine which sedation method works best for the situation: nitrous oxide, IV, or oral conscious sedation.
The primary factors in choosing a method go beyond the severity of your issues or your temperament, as the amount of time and work involved play a significant role. Additionally, other health considerations must be taken into account.
We use this method of treating dental conditions with other types of problems, as well, such as:
A strong gag reflex can make some procedures more challenging, and calming the body can help alleviate these issues.
People with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder often experience difficulties keeping their jaws open, which sedation dentistry can help alleviate.
If you’re less sensitive to local anesthetics, treating your dental issues becomes a major issue, and this method can help.
Extreme issues with tooth sensitivity can make other methods of numbing areas to be treated very difficult. Sedating you beforehand can make the procedure go smoother.
It’s difficult to convince people that giving in to dental anxiety only makes the teeth and gum problems they deal with worse, but with consultation and sedation dentistry, we can get you through this and preserve your oral health. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Kern and his team today to overcome your fear and receive treatment.
