{"id":500,"date":"2019-01-29T17:26:33","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T17:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/?p=500"},"modified":"2019-02-01T18:59:22","modified_gmt":"2019-02-01T18:59:22","slug":"dental-anxiety-is-nothing-to-fear-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/dental-anxiety-is-nothing-to-fear-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Dental Anxiety Is Nothing to Fear. Here\u2019s Why"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"sedation<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Do you suffer from dental anxiety<\/a>? You\u2019re not alone. Studies show that up to 40 million Americans avoid seeing their dentist due to feelings of fear or unease. Fortunately, you have options for dealing with this problem. These include conscious oral sedation, a technique that induces deep relaxation without putting you to sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Conscious Sedation Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sedation methods differ in\nterms of how they are administered and the response they induce in the patient.\nThe primary forms of conscious dental sedation include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Inhalation sedation. <\/strong>Otherwise known as \u201claughing gas,\u201d this method uses nitrous\noxide that the patient inhales through a face mask. This induces a deep state\nof relaxation that lasts throughout the procedure. The effects wear off almost\nimmediately after treatment.<\/li>
  2. Oral sedation. <\/strong>With\nthis approach, the patient takes a pill about an hour before his or her\nprocedure. It creates a light state of drowsiness. In many cases the patient\nsimply falls asleep and rests throughout the procedure. You will remain groggy\nfor some time after the visit, so you\u2019ll need someone to drive you home.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Deeper Forms of Sedation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The deepest type of sedation\nis IV sedation, also known as \u201cgeneral anesthesia.\u201d This approach uses intravenous\ndrugs to induce a deep state of sleep in the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This form of treatment is\nadministered either by a specially trained dentist or a separate\nanesthesiologist. Because the drugs are administered intravenously, the effects\nare almost immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IV sedation is usually\nreserved for advanced dental procedures such as reconstructive work. You will\nfeel sluggish afterwards and will require someone to drive you home. You may\nalso feel groggy for the next day or so, until the drugs work their way out of\nyour system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other Ways to Manage Dental Anxiety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Knowing what makes you afraid\nof the dentist can help you to manage your concerns. Here are three factors\nthat patients commonly mention when discussing their dental anxiety:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Pain. <\/strong>Unfortunately, dental care has acquired a reputation\nover the years as being a distinctly uncomfortable experience. Most of these\nmisperceptions are based on obsolete information. The anesthetics used in\nmodern dental settings are not only gentler but far more effective than those\nin the past.<\/li>
    2. Feelings of\nhelplessness. <\/strong>Some people avoid going\nto the dentist because they fear being out of control. The best way to deal\nwith this phobia is to talk to your dentist about the procedure ahead of time.\nKnowing what to expect can help you to relax.<\/li>
    3. Shame or\nembarrassment. <\/strong>Some people worry that\nthe dental staff will judge them for the condition of their teeth and gums. It\u2019s\nimportant to understand that dentists have seen almost everything during their\ncareers, including teeth that are in far worse shape than yours. Their desire\nis to help you enjoy better oral health, not to pass judgment on you.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Make an appointment to see\nyour local sedation dentist soon about the treatment options discussed in this\npost. There\u2019s nothing like a little knowledge to give you added peace of mind.\nAfter your procedure is over, you\u2019ll have plenty of reason to smile at the\nresults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Dr. Colin Holman is a\ngraduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. He\u2019s also a\ntrained sedation dentist and a member of the Dental Organization for Conscious\nSedation. You can reach his office online<\/a> or by\ncalling (405) 735-6600.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Do you suffer from dental anxiety? You\u2019re not alone. Studies show that up to 40 million Americans avoid seeing their dentist due to feelings of fear or unease. Fortunately, you have options for dealing with this problem. These include conscious oral sedation, a technique that induces deep relaxation without putting you to sleep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":507,"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions\/507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okdentalexpressions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}