Many people suffer from a common problem known as dental phobia. This occurs when the thought of visiting a dental office for a procedure brings about anxiety or even a panic attack. The fear may be generalized to include dentists and their office, or it may be about a specific procedure. The typical symptoms of dental phobia include sweating, shaking, nausea, a feeling of fear or doom or even heart palpitations.
Surprisingly, almost 75 percent of Americans feel some degree of dental phobia, ranging from mild to the more severe form, which is also known as odontophobia. Many people state that their fears began after a traumatic or extremely painful dentist visit in the past, and are unable to move past it. Unfortunately, this also means that many of these people with dental fears also avoid seeing the dentist, and their health and most certainly their teeth, will suffer.
If you have ever experienced dental phobia, and are embarrassed to visit the dentist for fear of behaving inappropriately, we want you to know that there is help. Dentists see a large number of patients with this same problem, and are able to bring you comfort and can provide relief from your anxiety and your tooth pain.
We can offer to our patients the option of receiving sedation before their procedures, which allows you to feel relaxed while the work is being done. This sedation is done with your safety in mind, and we conduct your sedation with the utmost caution and care. Pharmacology, which is the use of sedation, is used in most dental practices, and can range from Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) to benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax that offer relaxation and removal of anxiety.
We want our patients to know that we fully understand all of the complicated mental and physical reasons for dental phobia, and offer help. If you have fears, however mild or severe, you can contact us for a discrete consultation about dental procedures under sedation. We are more than just a dental clinic – we are also a source for sedation treatment in dental phobia. With most American adults suffering from some form of dental fear, we will continue to help our patients get the dental help they need without embarrassment, complications or fear.
If you have been avoiding your dentist appointments, it is time to contact us and find out how we can work with you to get you back to health and comfort. We understand the special needs of our patients, and are here to help.