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Dental anxiety affects approximately 36% of Americans, leaving many people feeling nervous and uncomfortable in the dentist’s chair. Sedation dentistry allows you to combat dental anxiety so you can get the dental care you need and keep your mouth healthy.
That’s exactly why our expert team at The Masters Dental Group in San Antonio, Texas, offers a variety of sedation dentistry options. But anxiety relief isn’t the only benefit of sedation dentistry. Here, we explain more about its other benefits.
There are many reasons why you might consider sedation dentistry. The following are the most common benefits our patients report.
One of the biggest advantages of sedation dentistry is anxiety relief. Sedation dentistry calms your nerves so you feel less anxious during your procedure.
Each type of sedation works differently to calm you down and help you relax. Laughing gas, for example, eases anxious feelings because the nitrous oxide (laughing gas) slows down your nervous system, which makes you feel less inhibited and more relaxed. Oral sedation provides the same calming benefits, but instead of breathing in a gas, you take a pill before your dental appointment.
Although dental anxiety is the main reason people opt for sedation dentistry, it’s not the only benefit. Sedation dentistry can also help patients with severe gag reflexes. Researchers have found that sedation methods, including laughing gas, can help those with moderate to severe gag reflexes tolerate a variety of procedures, including the placement of dental X-ray sensors.
Together, sedation dentistry and local anesthetics keep you as comfortable as possible during your appointment. You feel calm and pain-free, but unlike general anesthesia, you’re still awake and aware and have the ability to respond to questions during your appointment.
Another perk of sedation dentistry? Speedier appointments! Because sedation dentistry helps to calm your nerves and reduce anxiety during dental procedures, it limits your discomfort, restlessness, and need for breaks.
For some individuals, especially children who struggle with restlessness or wiggle during appointments, this can increase the likelihood that all required procedures can be completed in one appointment rather than spreading out needed procedures across multiple appointments.
For those with mild dental anxiety, it might not be enough for you to postpone treatments. However, for individuals with severe dental anxiety, the anxious feelings can be enough to delay treatment.
Putting off necessary treatment opens up the door for small issues to become bigger ones. Sedation dentistry allows you to relax enough so you don’t have to avoid the dentist or the complications of untreated problems.
Our team recommends the right level of sedation for you based on why you opt for sedation, the severity of your anxiety, and whether you have someone to drive you home. At The Masters Dental Group, we offer laughing gas (inhaled nitrous oxide), oral sedation, and intravenous (IV) sedation.
Laughing gas is the mildest form of sedation dentistry, and you can drive yourself home afterward. Oral sedation and IV sedation require a friend or family member to drive you home as the effects of the medication continue to wear off.
To find out which type of sedation is right for you and to schedule your needed dental work, call our office at 210-349-4424.
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