Are you among those who feel anxious while thinking about your next dental visit? At Serenity Dental Care clinic, we offer sedation dentistry where you can sleep during your dental treatment. Many people fear dental treatment and feel some sort of dental anxiety. Our sedation dentists at Serenity Dental Care clinic have been providing patients with a comfortable experience sleeping through their dental work.
What is Sleep Dentistry?
Sedation in dentistry is also known as sleep dentistry that helps thousands of people receive oral care that they may otherwise resist due to fear and anxiety. Let’s see how sedation in dentistry at Serenity Dental Care clinic can restore a healthy and beautiful smile.
Types of Sedation Are Used in Dentistry
- Inhaled minimal sedation which you breathe nitrous oxide also known as “laughing gas”
- Oral sedation in which medicine is given orally to keep you calm.
- IV moderate sedation in which the patient receives the sedative drug through a vein, this is the fastest acting form of sedation.
- General anesthesia in which the patient gets medications that will completely make them unconscious.
Do You Have Dental Anxiety?
At the Serenity Dental Care clinic, it is the prime goal of our dental professionals to provide the best treatment for patients with dental anxiety. For people with dental anxiety, sedation dentistry is the most appropriate option so that the patient can overcome their fear or anxiety and get the best dental treatment. (1)
What are the Symptoms of Dental Anxiety?
When a person is under stress, mentally or physically, there is a unique way of every individual reacting to it. Most dental patients exhibit some of these symptoms and if you are the one who is also experiencing any of these then talk to our dental providers at Serenity Dental Care clinic to help with your dental anxiety. (2) The following are some of the symptoms of dental anxiety:
- Sweating
- Racing heartbeat
- Heart palpitations
- Low blood pressure
- Fainting
- Crying
- Panic attacks
- Anger
- Visible distress
- Withdrawal, not speaking to anyone
- Aggression
- Trouble sleeping before your appointment
- Severe nervousness
- A constant, nagging worry
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Racing thoughts
There are some of the factors which can also trigger Dental anxiety such as thinking about, seeing, or feeling needles, hearing loud noises in the dental clinic, or seeing dental drills, or even while driving for your dental appointment. In some cases, this dental anxiety gets so bad that the patients develop an irrational fear of the dentist and refuse to get treated. (3) Dental anxiety may occur on its own or it may occur in combination with other mental illnesses and health conditions:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar disorder
If the patient is already under the care of a doctor or other health professional, it is imperative to inform the dentist about dental anxiety. At Serenity Dental Care, our expert team is willing to help you work through your fears or prescribe medication before the dental treatment. (3)There are many ways to help people with dental anxiety. It is imperative to inform the dentist if you experience any kind of dental anxiety, this will help the dentist to tailor a treatment plan for you.
How Dental Anxiety Can be Managed During Dental Treatment?
Some of the methods our expert team uses to manage patients with dental anxiety are as follow: (4)
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Distraction
- Guided imagery
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Hypnosis. (5)
Sleep dentistry can help you cope with your dental fear and receive the treatment you need to achieve a healthy smile. The dentists at Serenity Dental Care, are trained to provide various techniques and will guide you in the right direction. Don’t forget to discuss your dental anxiety with your dentist at your next appointment, and together, you can make your way towards a more comfortable and enjoyable dental appointment.
References
- Erten, H., Akarslan, Z. Z., & Bodrumlu, E. (2006). Dental fear and anxiety levels of patients attending a dental clinic. Quintessence international, 37(4).
- Armfield, J. M., & Heaton, L. J. (2013). Management of fear and anxiety in the dental clinic: a review. Australian dental journal, 58(4), 390–531. https://doi.org/10.1111/adj.12118
- Almoznino, G., Zini, A., Sharav, Y., Shahar, A., Zlutzky, H., Haviv, Y., Lvovsky, A., & Aframian, D. J. (2015). Sleep quality in patients with dental anxiety. Journal of psychiatric research, 61, 214–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.11.015
- Bare, L. C., & Dundes, L. (2004). Strategies for combating dental anxiety. Journal of Dental Education, 68(11), 1172-1177.
- Yildirim, T. T., Dundar, S., Bozoglan, A., Karaman, T., Dildes, N., Kaya, F. A., … & Alan, H. (2017). Is there a relation between dental anxiety, fear and general psychological status?. PeerJ, 5, e2978.
