Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

Dental Phobia Dentistry Sedation Methods

by Lonnie Bryant

Dental phobia refers to a patient's fear of visiting a dentist whether it's due to fear of pain, fear of choking on dental implements, fear of needles or anxiety related to not having control during a dental procedure. If you have any fears about seeing your dentist, you can visit a phobia dentist, who specializes in utilizing methods that can alleviate your fears:

Phobia Dentistry Defined -- Phobia dentistry is more commonly referred to as sedation dentistry, and it focuses on calming and relaxing phobic patients so that a dentist can perform various dental procedures. Sedation dentists are considered specialists because their use of sedation methods is non-traditional and carries a slightly higher degree of risk than standard dentistry.

Oral Sedation Method -- Oral sedation, also known as conscious sedation, is a phobia relaxation method in which your dentist gives you a sedative that doesn't put you to sleep, but completely relaxes you and in many cases, makes you forget the entire dental procedure.

Oral sedation is achieved in two ways:  nitrous oxide and oral sedatives. Nitrous oxide, which most people know as 'laughing gas,' induces a state of calmness so that even though you can understand and respond to your dentist, your anxieties and fears are eliminated.

This also helps when your dentist has to inject you with a local anaesthetic to take away any pain from the procedure he's about to perform.

Oral sedatives are pills that your dentist gives you to induce a calm state that is similar to what you would get with nitrous oxide. If you are wary of using gas to alleviate your phobia, oral sedatives are a good alternative.

Dentists will typically give you sedatives that include, lorazepam (anxiety medication), halcion (used to treat insomnia) and diazepam (induces calmness and amnesia). Typically, diazepam, also known as valium, is used for longer dental procedures, because it has a longer-lasting effect than other types of oral sedatives.

Deep Sedation Method -- If you are undergoing a complicated and lengthy dental procedure, and you don't want to be conscious, then you can choose deep sedation, in which an anaesthesiologist will put you to sleep. With this sedation method, you will not be able to respond to a dentist's command, and you will need to have a breathing apparatus because general anaesthesia shuts down your breathing process. Deep sedation is only reserved for patients with a huge phobia that cannot undergo urgent dental procedures while awake. It is also the most expensive type of sedation.

It's important to remember that phobia dentistry sedation methods are not typically covered by insurance, as they are not considered to be a normal part of dental procedures. So you must pay out of pocket for the sedation method, even though the actual procedure will be covered.

To learn more, contact a company like Redland Bay Dental Surgery Toothwise with any questions you have.


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About Me

Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

There are more than two ways to straighten a smile, and in this blog, I plan to discuss them all. I plan to look at the differences between braces and retainers and explain why sometimes you may need them both. I look at the differences in cost, time commitment and efficacy. Personally, I have had a bit of experience with this subject – I had braces as a young teen, and I had a permanent retainer. In this blog, I discuss what I have learned, and I present all kinds of new information on the topic. Whether you are trying to make decisions for yourself or your child. I hope you find this information useful.