Most individuals neglect dental checkups due to anxiety. According to a study, 36 percent of Americans suffer from dental anxiety. Interestingly, most of them are aware of the effect of negligence on their oral health—it’s just that fear makes them shun their dental visits.

 

Most dental patients rely on sedation dentistry to remain calm and comfortable at the dentist’s office. Sedation dentistry is the medication that helps patients relax as they go through their dental procedures.

 

Many factors can lead to dental anxiety, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Past neck and head trauma and generalized anxiety disorder also contribute to dental anxiety. Conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder can cause one to be very anxious.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Dental Anxiety

Below are what people with dental anxiety experience:

 

• Sweating
   

• Low blood pressure
   

• Heart palpitations
   

• Panic attacks
   

• Crying
   

• High blood pressure
   

• Stomach upsets
   

• Withdrawal
  
   

Local Anesthetic 

Most dental procedures use this type of sedation. Dentists use a local anesthetic to numb the site that needs treatment. Your dentist will swab topical anesthetic to the site before injecting the local anesthetic. Doing that helps their patients relax and not feel the needle injected into their gums.

 

Oral Sedation and Nitrous Oxide 

Your dentist can prescribe some medication to take orally as pills to help you relax throughout your treatment. The sedative may take a while to wear off as it is very potent. You may need to have someone drive you back home after your dental procedure.

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, helps patients relax during their treatments at the dentist. A specialist will place a mask over your face so that you can breathe in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen throughout the process. You will begin feeling relaxed after a few minutes.

During the whole treatment session, you will remain awake and may even interact with your dentist. Once the nitrous oxide effect wears off, you may not remember anything about the dental session. Most patients enjoy the sensation they get from nitrous oxide. However, other patients prefer other sedation options.

 

IV Sedation

Patients with severe dental anxiety receive this form of sedation. Dentists also use it on patients undergoing oral surgery. Your dentist will inject it into a vein in your arm. As they do this, they need to constantly monitor your oxygen levels to determine whether you need more oxygen during your procedure. IV sedation keeps you awake throughout your treatment but helps you remain calm.

 

General Anesthesia

Patients remain asleep throughout their dental procedure when they get this type of sedation. The use of general anesthesia is appropriate for a hospital setting because of the many risks associated with it. Patients may need close monitoring due to cases such as dropping of blood pressure or irregular heartbeat.

 

The risks associated with general anesthesia need a certified professional to handle. It works for extensive dental procedures or when other types of sedation do not work on an individual. Dentists also use it on patients with extreme cases of dental anxiety.

For more about safe sedation dentistry, contact Marine Park Periodontics and Implantology at our office in Brooklyn, New York. You can call (646) 863-4810 to book an appointment today.