Dental anxiety and dental fear are very real for many people.
Some people have a bad experience as a child that affects their view of dental care for the rest of their lives.
Other people went to a dentist as adults, but they found the dentist who was impatient because he or she just wanted to get you in and get you out.
At Bayou Dental Group, our priority is whoever is sitting in our dental chair. We will take the time to explain your procedure, and we won’t rush you into anything. We do want all our patients to feel comfortable, which is why we offer oral conscious sedation at our dentist office in Monroe, LA.
Keep reading to learn more about oral sedation and why it may be what you need to get the dental care that you deserve.
Family Atmosphere
When you come to Bayou Dental Group, we want you to feel like you do when you visit your relatives (the ones that you enjoy seeing).
We have complimentary water and coffee while you wait. In the dental chair, you can listen to music or watch a movie to take your mind off your procedure. We’ll even give you a pillow and a blanket if it will help you feel more cozy.
We don’t have to offer these comfort options, but we do because we want you to have a personal, friendly experience when you spend time with us. Dental care shouldn’t be cold and disconnected, in our view.
Oral Conscious Sedation
So how does oral conscious sedation fit in with comfort?
For patients who are anxious or fearful, it can mean the difference between receiving dental care or avoiding the dentist completely.
The University of Washington in Seattle created their Dental Fears Research Clinic to study why people are fearful of the dentist and how they can be helped. According to their research, about 1 in 5 Americans will go to the dentist only if they have a dental emergency. And among people with dental anxiety, 58 percent completely avoid the dentist.
We want you to be one of the 42 percent who do visit the dentist, and we believe oral conscious sedation can make that happen.
Why do we believe this? Because we treat patients with dental anxiety every day.
Why Should You Try Oral Conscious Sedation?
People experience dental anxiety for a wide range of reasons, and we probably couldn’t list all of them if we tried. However, we are familiar with some of the most common reason that people try dental sedation. Maybe one or more than one of them will make sense to you.
◼︎ You Will Be Calm
People often do one of two things when they are scared; they want to fight or they want to flee. We would much prefer that you do neither of those things.
We know it may be difficult just making an appointment. When you get to our office, we want to make sure your receive the benefit of quality dental care, whether that is a cleaning or some other treatment.
You will take a pill several minutes before we start your procedure. When you are feeling relaxed, we will bring you to the treatment room. You may feel a bit sleepy, but you will remain calm and comfortable.
You also will need a family member or friend to give you a ride home. The effects of your oral conscious sedation will last well after your treatment is over.
◼︎ You Won’t Remember What Happened
For some patients, this is the biggest benefit of sedation dentistry. Because of the medication, you probably won’t be able to recall much if anything about your visit.
Think of this like taking a nap on a plane. You may not remember anything about the flight, but you still get the benefit of traveling to your destination. With sedation dentistry, you can get dental care without the memories of what took place.
◼︎ You Will Not Feel Pain
If you had a painful dental procedure when you were younger, this may be why you are hesitant to return to the dentist. As modern dentistry has improved, most procedures can be performed with minimal pain and in many cases with no pain at all.
With that in mind, you won’t feel anything during your treatment when you undergo oral conscious sedation. In addition to keeping your relaxed, sedation also provides an anesthetic benefit to you.
◼︎ You Will Not Gag
If you have a sensitive gag reflex, the thought of a dentist or hygienist putting tools in your mouth can be troublesome. It can also make dental care hard on you and on your dentist or hygienist.
Through oral conscious sedation, you will be naturally less responsive, which also makes you much, much less likely to gag. That’s something you and the person providing your care can appreciate.
Have Questions?
If you would like to know more about our comfort options, including oral conscious sedation, call or stop by our dentist office in Monroe, LA.
You can reach Bayou Dental Group by calling 318-323-9303 or by filling out our online form.