Do you have a fear of the dentist?
We offer a nervous patient clinic, where you can come in for a tour of the practice and meet the dentist you will be seeing before you actually come for an appointment, so that you know what to expect and can feel more at ease with your surroundings before you commence any treatment. All of our staff are trained to deal with nervous patients and will do their very best to put you at ease when you visit us.
We can also offer options during treatment to make your visits much more enjoyable and take the stress out of the situation, continue reading to see what we can offer to help:
What is sedation?
We offer an intravenous or IV sedation. This is given by injection, either in the back of your hand or in your arm. The dose will depend on the amount of treatment needed and the length of time it will take to complete.
How will IV sedation in the surgery affect me?
You become drowsy and unaware of any treatment, but you are still able to co-operate with the dentist. The effects of sedative medicine take some time to wear off and your dentist will tell you how long the drugs will take to clear from your body. You won’t be able to drink alcohol, drive or work machinery during this time.
What else can help?
You can be helped to feel relaxed by ‘relative analgesia’ sometimes known as inhalation sedation. This means breathing in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen (‘laughing gas’) which quickly leads to a pleasant, relaxed feeling. The dentist puts you at ease at the same time, by talking softly and suggesting what you feel. You remain conscious all the time, although you may be a little drowsy, and any treatment given causes you no discomfort. You breathe in the mixture through a nosepiece, which is very comfortable. You can’t overdose on the gas, as the mixture quickly leaves the body if you breathe in one or two breaths of ordinary air. There are no after-effects either, and you can drive a car after about 15 minutes. Many dentists use this safe and effective technique.
How does relaxation work?
When we are faced with a challenge or something we’re afraid of, such as a visit to the dentist, our bodies produce substances, which raise our anxiety. However, we can train our bodies to work against this anxiety, by learning to relax. It’s not possible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time, so learning relaxation helps control our anxiety.
If you have any questions about our nervous patient clinic, or would like to book in for an appointment then do not hesitate to contact us on 01474 537 191.