Anxious & Scared of The Dentist?

Dental fear and anxiety

Fear of the dentist is so common that there are whole websites dedicated for people with fear of the dentist. When patients were asked about what concerns them most about the dental visit, the number one concern was "fear of pain". At our dental practice, everyone including the dentist, nursing staff and the reception staff are aware of your dental fear and anxiety. We understand that going to the dentist can be an unpleasant experience and want to make your visit as pleasant as possible. We have decided that it is our main priority to manage your fear and anxiety. 

There are different increasing levels of management of dental fear and anxiety. Lauging gas (Nitrous Oxide) was used commonly in the past but now we have modern alternative methods. The methods with a brief description are listed below. 

Penthrox (Inhalation Sedation)

At the very basic level, we can administer this inhalational sedation agent which relaxes you, reduces pain response and even gag reflexes in most patients. It is advisable that you don't drive after the use of this product but it does produce a very mild effect which is over quickly after the procedure

Pre-medication 

For some people, pre-medication prior to a procedure more invasive than an examination may be needed. It is not unusual or strange for this to be needed and we may need to consider this as an option to make your visit more comfortable. A combination of Penthrox and pre-medication may be needed. In its simplest form, pre-medication can even be in the form of an over-the-counter painkiller i.e. Panadol prior to your appointment. DO NOT take any medication prior to your dental visit withour consulting with the Dentist. As a friendly but serious note, pre-medication can be addictive so we reserve it for specific individuals, prescribe no more than is necessary and do not want you to RELY on it for attending the dentist. Over a few visits, we can actually reduce the dosage until you no longer need it! After all, we're looking out for your general health in addition to your dental health. 

Intravenous sedation

Intravenous sedation is used atour dental practice on a very regular basis for a wide range of treatments and for many different people. It is used for all wisdom tooth removal to provide a comfortable and relaxed procedure to an otherwise worrying treatment experience.Many people also opt for sedation to facilitate the treatment of a number of teeth and to get the dentistry done all in one appointment. Of course some people just do not like dental treatment and may be quite nervous about various aspects of treatment and for these people sedation at our dental practice is an ideal treatment option.Sedation is comfortable and provides an alternative for many people to have their dentistry carried out in a way that accommodates their special needs.

General Anaesthesia 

Sometimes, in very rare circumstances, people need to be referred for treatment under General Anaesthetic at a hospital. We reserve this type of sedation for complex treatment with other complicating factors. This is usually reserved for extraction of wisdom teeth.

A very simple thing you can do yourself! 

Bring along your portable music device / Ipod and small headphones (which don't interfere with the dentist's workspace). Often, people are scared of the "sounds" of the drill etc, so bring along your music, jack up the volume and tune out! Please check with your dentist before you do so because in some circumstances it may be inappropriate!