GENTLE DENTIST

If you fear going to the dentist, you are not alone. Dental phobia leaves people panic-stricken and terrified. Most people with dental phobia have an understanding that their fear is irrational but they can’t do much about it. If anxiety stops you from seeking dental treatment there are ways to help you cope.

People with dental phobia may experience:

• sweating
• racing heartbeat or palpitations
• low blood pressure and possible fainting (syncope)
• visible distress, crying or signs of panic
• withdrawal to mask anxiety

Some anxious patients will routinely miss dental appointments, and may find it difficult to undergo dental treatment regardless of whether it is simple or complex.

For many people getting any sort of traumatic dental procedure like getting a tooth taken out is quite stressful (understandably). Many who find it stressful still cope well with it while several others don’t. Oral sedation is a form of tablet that your dentist or GP could prescribe you and you can take it some time before your dental appointment and that will relax you and will reduce your anxiety. You will be fully awake though. You will need to be escorted to and from the practice and ideally will need someone to be with you for next 24 hours.

Happy gas can be administered to you to relax and comfort you and get any stressful procedure done. Relatively inexpensive and safe to be administered in most cases, use of Happy gas has become more common nowadays.

A form of sedation that can be performed in the dental practice under the supervision of a visiting anaesthetist. Not usually suitable for children as it is being done in the dental surgery rather than in the hospital. This form of sedation needs a lot of planning and coordination between the practice staff and the anaesthetist. Relatively expensive, it is usually performed when some major dental work is to be performed on a nervous patient’s teeth. You will need to be assessed by the anaesthetist for your suitability for the procedure.

Getting more and more common nowadays to get your wisdom teeth removed. Commonly performed by doctors and dental specialists, when general dentistry has to be performed on a patient’s teeth who needs major dental work and is nervous and can’t cope up with the work, GA maybe a suitable option. Relatively expensive, several assessments need to be made before the suitability of a patient could be decided.

If you or some of your close ones experiences dental phobia, talk to us. Our dentists are very experienced and accommodating. We do have happy gas in the practice and we also can organise the other forms of sedation for you. Book now for a consult.