How Sedation Can Help with Your Dental Anxiety

November 26, 2024

Be it due to bad experiences at the dentist when they were young or simply failure to get quality dental care when there was younger, many Americans suffer from dental anxiety, putting their dental health at risk. If that’s your case, sedation dentistry in Lexington may offer the solution you’re looking for.

There are various types of dental sedation available that can help you calm down before a dental appointment and get the confidence you need to get adequate dental care. To help you achieve that, we came up with this article.

What Is Dental Anxiety?

If you dislike going to the dentist, you probably don’t need me to tell you that you’re not the only one. Dental visits can be costly, painful, and awkward, especially if you don’t have a team of funny and qualified dentists like the ones here at Georgetown Sedation Dentistry.

Jokes aside, there’s a big difference between disliking going to the dentist and suffering from dental anxiety. While this isn't yet a diagnosable condition, people suffering from it often experience a physical or psychological negative reaction to a dental appointment. This emerges due to a feeling of potential danger associated with a visit to the dentist’s office.  

In some cases, a patient’s anxiety can be such that they avoid scheduling dental appointments or cancel them hours before the appointed time due to fear, which could negatively impact their oral health.

After all, regular brushing and flossing play a big role in maintaining good oral health, but you always need the eye of a professional to ensure everything looks as it should. Unidentified issues like gum disease or tooth decay will progressively worsen, leaving the need for a tooth extraction as the only alternative.

Sadly, dental anxiety is very common in America. In 2017, a study showed that 19% of the more than 300 participants in a 2017 study experienced severe dental anxiety. So, how can sedation dentistry help you overcome this?

The Benefits of Sedation for Patients with Dental Anxiety

There are several advantages to sedation in dentistry, especially for people who suffer from phobias or anxiety. Whether you're having a simple cleaning or a more involved procedure, sedation enables you to:

  • Stay composed and at ease: Sedation lessens anxiety and dread, which improves the whole dental experience.
  • Comfortably endure longer treatments: Sedation makes it possible for patients who require numerous procedures or a lot of work to have longer sessions without experiencing any discomfort.
  • Reduce sensitivity: Sedation might lessen discomfort during treatments for people with sensitive teeth or gums.
  • Forget the experience: Patients frequently have little to no recall of the surgery due to the amnesic impact of many sedatives, which lessens post-treatment anxiety.

Overcome Your Dental Anxiety With Sedation Dentistry in Lexington

Sedation can be a game-changer for patients who have been avoiding dental appointments for years. By receiving vital treatments without feeling anxious or distressed, you'll be able to regain control over your oral health and get the treatment you’ve been needing for so long.

Having a healthy mouth can potentially change your quality of life. So, reach out to Georgetown Sedation Dentistry, and let’s explore all available options together to ensure you’re as healthy as possible!