If you have an extreme phobia of visiting the dentist then you’re not alone. Many people avoid visiting their dentist and as a result they suffer from problems such as dental pain, abscesses and damaged teeth.
For people such as this, there is a solution in the form of dental oral sedation. By using one of the many drugs available to help patients deal with anxiety, dentists can do their work whilst the patient is completely relaxed.
A common reason for the use of oral sedation is for people who are adverse to needles. Because the medications are administered orally, there’s no need for injection. However many patients find that once they have taken the medication, they’re much less anxious and therefore are no long afraid of receiving a local anaesthetic.
For people such as this, there is a solution in the form of dental oral sedation. By using one of the many drugs available to help patients deal with anxiety, dentists can do their work whilst the patient is completely relaxed.
A common reason for the use of oral sedation is for people who are adverse to needles. Because the medications are administered orally, there’s no need for injection. However many patients find that once they have taken the medication, they’re much less anxious and therefore are no long afraid of receiving a local anaesthetic.
When you are tense and anxious, particularly when you’re anticipating pain, it puts your body in “fight or flight” mode and therefore makes you very sensitive to every sensation and noise. This is a very common experience for people who have a phobia of dentists. Using oral sedation can help you to completely relax and make the experience much more tolerable.
Is it safe?
If you’re consideration oral sedation then it’s important to inform your dentist of anything about your medical history that you think is relevant, including -
- Any medications you’re currently taking
- Any existing medical conditions you have
- Any herbal supplements you’re talking. You may think that herbal treatments such as St John’s Wort are not worth mentioning but they can interact with oral sedatives so it’s vital that you inform your dentist.
- Smoking and alcohol consumption. Both can influence how effective sedative medications are.
Once this information has been provided, your dentist can then decide on the best type of sedative to use for your treatment.
Planning for an appointment
In order to plan for a visit to the dentist where oral sedation will be used, there are certain things you must do.
These include –
- In some cases your dentist will administer oral sedation medication for you to take the night before your treatment to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep.
- It’s advisable that you don’t eat or drink anything for at least six hours before your appointment.
- It’s usually best to take the day off work when you’re taking oral sedation.
- You should arrange for a friend or family member to drive you to your appointment and pick you up afterwards. It is not safe to drive until after the medication has worn off. How long this takes will depend on the particular medication you were given.
- You should also keep hydrated and drink plenty of water following your appointment.
David has an interest in all subjects related to dentistry and often discusses the benefits of using dental oral sedation.
