Overcoming Dental Anxiety
It’s estimated that 50 to 80 percent of the American population has some degree of dental phobia/anxiety, ranging from mild to severe. Fear of the dentist may be the result of a previous bad experience or widely held stereotypes about dentists. Regardless of the reason, if you have dental anxiety there’s a good chance it’s stopping you from getting the dental treatment you need. Failing to regularly see a dentist increases your risk of oral health issues and puts your overall health at risk.
At Legacy Dental, Dr. Loiseau and his team understand your dental anxiety. When you visit our Moses Lake office, we want you to feel safe and comfortable so you can have a better experience and more effective treatment. For these reasons, we offer sedation dentistry services to reduce your dental anxiety and phobia.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is concerned with the safe, effective use of sedatives to reduce dental phobia and anxiety to keep you calm during your appointment. Not only does sedation dentistry make dental visits more pleasant, but it also makes treatment easier when multiple procedures are needed at once. With the reduction of dental anxiety, you’re more likely to see your dentist regularly, which helps you enhance and maintain your oral health.
What Kind of Sedation Do We Offer?
At Legacy Dental, we offer oral conscious sedation which comes in the form of a pill that you’ll take an hour before your appointment. Oral conscious sedation allows you to remain awake and responsive while Dr. Loiseau and his team tend to your dental needs.
Benefits of Oral Conscious Sedation
- Easy to use
- No needles or gas involved
- Tends to wear off more quickly than other sedation methods
- You’ll be responsive and able to tell us how you feel during the procedure
- Allows for more procedures to be done in fewer appointments
The Oral Conscious Sedation Process
Consultation
Before any procedures or sedation takes place, you’ll undergo a consultation with Dr. Loiseau. During your consultation, it’s important to discuss your dental anxieties with Dr. Loiseau so he can evaluate your candidacy for sedation dentistry services.
During your routine consultation, Dr. Louiseau will review your medical history and ask you about any medications you take, prior experiences with sedation, drug resistance and addiction, and your family history of reaction to sedation. This information will allow him to decide if oral conscious sedation is right for you.
Preparation
It’s important that you secure a method of transportation to and from your appointment with someone you trust beforehand, since sedation will make you incapable of safely operating a vehicle. Oral sedation tends to last two to eight hours, but this can vary based on factors such as your unique physiology. Depending on how long your procedure takes, it may be wise to request time off of work for the next day so you can fully recover.
Sedation
You’ll take your pill an hour before your appointment. Depending on the procedure you’ll undergo, Dr. Loiseau may also prescribe your anesthetic in the form of a pill you’ll take alongside your sedative. We can also apply an anesthetic before your procedure begins.
Post-Procedure
Once your procedure is done, your enlisted transport will take you home to recover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Years of refinement have made sedation dentistry safer and more effective than ever. Before you undergo any kind of sedation, Dr. Loiseau will extensively review your medical history including allergies, medication, drug resistance, and family history of sedation reactions to determine if oral conscious sedation will be safe and effective for you.
While oral conscious sedation typically lasts anywhere from two to eight hours, you may feel some of the effects up to 24 hours after you take your pill. That’s why Dr. Loiseau sometimes recommends requesting time off for the next day, so you can fully recover.
Sedation dentistry may be necessary when you feel fear or anxiety intense enough to stop you from attending your dental appointment. It may also be necessary if you have a bad gag reflex, or during more complex procedures, so your muscles don’t spasm and your jaw doesn’t get tired.
With oral conscious sedation, you may have little to no memory of the procedure afterwards.
Sedation Dentistry Helps You Preserve Your Oral Health
If you experience dental phobia or anxiety, don’t let it stop you from caring for your smile and protecting your health. At Legacy Dental, oral conscious sedation can help you receive the dental care you need and help us deliver treatment more effectively by keeping you calm during your procedure.
To learn more about the benefits of oral conscious sedation, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Loiseau at our Moses Lake office, contact us by dialing (509) 765-1748 or schedule a consultation by clicking the button below.