It’s estimated that at least one in ten Americans — and not to be beaten at anything, one in five Texans — avoid visiting the dentist due to nervousness or anxiety about dental procedures or check-ups. What many people don’t realize though is that in the past couple of decades, there has been innovation in a new field known as “sedation dentistry” that benefits those with anxiety surrounding dental appointments. Likewise, there are many benefits for even those who don’t experience regular anxiety when visiting the dentist, and we’ve outlined them below:
The Benefits of Seeing a Dentist Specializing in Sedation
- Increased Comfort & Relaxation for Patients — Being a dental patient, as you probably already know, isn’t always the most thrilling of experiences, but with the addition of sedation it can be a much more comfortable and tolerable process. Not only do many forms of sedation ease the nerves of patients prior to a procedure, but there are options for patients to sleep through or have no memory of more invasive procedures such as gum surgery or wisdom teeth removal.
- Easier for Your Dentist — As much as many dentists may hate to admit it, no one’s perfect at their job, and it can occasionally be a struggle when you have a difficult patient in the chair. Sedation can make a dentist’s job much easier. Patients are much less prone to frequent movement: meaning patients will keep still and not close their mouths as frequently. For uncooperative children, incredibly anxious adults, and those suffering from mental conditions sedation dentistry can make a treatment much less stressful for both patients and dentists alike.
- Better, Cheaper Care — As you’ve just read, being sedated can make a patient much more cooperative with a dentist. Additionally, sedated patients tend to be less anxious and rushed meaning they can undergo much longer treatments, meaning a dentist can spend more time on a patient. Likewise, you might think sedation would add a cost to an appointment — which is true. But in the case of many more prolonged procedures, sedation can mean that a dentist can do the work in fewer, longer appointments than several short ones cutting down on your potential cost, even with sedation.
At Lakeway Center for Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, sedation dentistry is just one of the many services we offer. If you have questions for our staff on sedation dentistry, our sedation treatments or would like to schedule an appointment, feel free to contact us at any time!