Boston Sedation Dentistry
Boston Sedation Dentistry — Do you put off getting dental work done because you’re terrified of dental procedures? If that is indeed the case, you’re not alone. Research shows that the most common reason why people avoid seeing a dentist is because of dental anxiety.
Yet by putting off dental check-ups and treatments, you can cause fairly minor dental concerns — such as easily-treatable gum disease — to deteriorate into major dental problems which will necessitate extensive intervention.
Depending on the degree of the phobia or anxiety, various dental sedation procedures can be used, including nitrous oxide inhalation sedation, conscious sedation with oral sedatives, intravenous (IV) sedation, and general anesthesia. These sedation dentistry techniques can help those patients — who otherwise may avoid a dentist — to receive dental treatment required for healthy and beautiful smiles.
Even though the term “sedation dentistry” implies that patients are unconscious, this is not necessarily the case. Some forms of sedation dentistry simply help alleviate apprehension and fear, or they put patients into a sleep-like condition, so that very little from the dental treatment is actually felt or remembered.
While Boston sedation dentistry isn’t for everyone, it could perhaps be a possible dental solution for you or a loved one. If you can strongly relate to any of the following, you might consider looking for a Boston sedation dentist:
- dental anxiety and/or phobias (fear of needles, drilling, etc)
- traumatic prior dental experiences
- overly sensitive teeth
- difficulty getting numb with regular dental “freezing”
- limited time to complete dental work
- complex dental problems
- difficulty controlling movement (for people with medical conditions such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease, or for some children who cannot sit still throughout the dental visit)
During a sedation dentistry treatment, you won’t feel any distress or discomfort, and may not even remember the dental procedure itself. Because you’ll be totally comfortable and relaxed, your sedation dentist can also perform numerous other oral care procedures during the same visit, including:
- fixing chipped or damaged teeth
- restoring sore and diseased gums back to good health
- replacing crowns or dentures
- whitening yellow or stained teeth
A recent article in the Dental Tribune declared:
“In a landmark report on the nation’s oral health, the U.S. Surgeon General in May 2000 called upon the dental community to do more to make quality care available to the millions of Americans who go without regular treatments… One group of dedicated professionals – oral sedation dentists – took up the Surgeon General’s call and set about reinventing their practices to serve the largest segment of so-called ‘dental avoiders’ – those patients who have not visited a dentist in five, ten, sometimes even twenty years.”
With sedation dentistry, many patients who had previously given up hope of having healthy and beautiful teeth, are now enthusiastically proclaiming “My dentist changed my life. I can’t stop smiling.”
In conclusion, sedation dentistry can offer an effective and safe way for patients to overcome their phobias and other dental issues, so they can get the treatment they need to maintain oral health and avoid major dental problems.
Click here to take advantage of all the benefits of Boston sedation dentistry.