We know that sitting in a dental chair can be scary and bring on feelings of nervousness and anxiety. To help you feel more relaxed during your appointments, we offer oral sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry involves using sedatives to help you feel calm and at ease in our chairs. 

What is Dental Anxiety?

Many people get nervous at the mere thought of going to the dentist. Their palms get sweaty, they lose sleep, and can’t make themselves keep their appointments due to the fear they feel. Whether you are scared that the appointment might hurt, or if you are fearful for what your dental exam will find, anxiety can affect anyone of any age. A study done found that 61% of patients suffer from dental fear. Further, 4% of those people have never been to the dentist at all. To break it down further, they explain that a majority are scared of the pain, but people are even fearful of just sitting in the chair for long periods of time and what the dental bill will look like afterwards. 

While similar to dental anxiety, dental phobia is more severe and less common. Dental phobia can leave patients panic-stricken, according to Cleveland Clinic, and terrified. It can be caused by the fear of the pain, bad past experiences, the feeling of helplessness, and more. 

Signs of Dental Anxiety 

Anxiety can present itself differently in every single patient. BetterHealth Channel lists the common symptoms that people with dental anxiety might experience:

• Sweating 
• Racing heartbeat or palpitations 
• Low blood pressure and possible fainting
• Visible distress, crying, or signs of panic
• Withdrawal, or using humor or aggression to mask anxiety
• Missing routine dental appointments 
• Finding it difficult to go through with treatment, no matter how simple or complex 

Consequences of Dental Anxiety

People who have dental anxiety often miss trips to the dentist due to the fear. Doing this can have negative implications of your oral health. Those who skip the dentist are more likely to have cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and other serious complications that can result in the need for costly and intensive treatments later on. 

What is Sedation Dentistry? 

At Mountain Aire Dentistry, we understand that not everyone feels at home at the dentist’s office. Many people suffer from dental anxiety or simply feel nervous about their treatments. To help you feel more relaxed during your appointments, we offer oral sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry involves the use of sedative medications and methods to help you feel calm and at ease during your treatment.

There are a few different types of sedation that offer different levels of relaxation, like: 

• Minimal sedation – where you are awake, but relaxed
• Moderate sedation – where you are awake, but may slur your words and not remember majority of the appointment
• Deep sedation – where you are on the edge of consciousness, but you can still be awakened
• General anesthesia – where you are completely unconscious 

Specifically, at Mountain Aire Dentistry, we most commonly offer oral conscious sedation. This form of sedition involves taking a sedative pill before your appointment with Dr. Chris Bockrath. By the time your treatment begins, you will feel relaxed and at ease. Oral sedation is a type of conscious sedation, meaning you will not be unconscious; however, you may not remember all of the details of your treatment. Due to this, you will need someone to drive you home from your appointment with us. 

We offer sedation dentistry to our patients to help them feel more at ease when they visit us. No matter the cause of the anxiety and fear, sedation can help you get the dental care you need without the panic. 

What to Expect after Sedation

The main side effect of sedation dentistry is feeling tired and lethargic for the rest of the day. However, while most people will need a ride home, you are typically able to care for yourself once you make it back home safely. The sedation can begin to wear off within two hours after you take it, but some people could feel the effects of it for 6-8 more hours afterwards. 

Make an Appointment with Mountain Aire Dentistry 

Our caring dentist and dental team at Mountain Aire Dentistry will make certain that you feel comfortable throughout your time at our office. To learn more and to discover whether sedation dentistry is right for you, we welcome you to contact our office today. Request an appointment online or by calling our office at (303)-731-7755.