Dental anxiety and the more severe dental phobia influence many people, including some of our patients at the Center for Dental Anesthesia in Alexandria. This post answers some questions asked about this important topic.
What are the long-term consequences of dental anxiety and dental phobia?
The most harmful consequence is when a dental phobic patient delays dental care until a pain becomes excruciating. At this point, the problem is usually extremely advanced and requires extensive treatment.
Furthermore, there are usually many other dental troubles in varying stages of progression. Many oral conditions eventually cause malfunction in other vital systems risking general health and well-being.
There is also another anxiety at play, albeit a very ironic one. In addition to the emotional distress about dental treatment, the patient who avoids dental care starts panicking about the sorry condition of their teeth.
If I have dental phobia or anxiety, what should I do to safeguard my oral health?
Schedule an appointment with us. There are several distinct fears associated with dental anxiety and dental phobia. Fear of pain, fear of the unknown, fear of loss of control, and extreme embarrassment because of poor dental health are the most prevalent concerns. During your consultation, we will address each of your distinct fears, discuss them, and determine a course of action.
IV Sedation
At the Center for Dental Anesthesia, we provide IV sedation. As its name implies, its is a sedative administered intravenously. Sometimes referred to as sleep dentistry or twilight dentistry, it produces a sleep-like effect. However, you will remain awake throughout your procedure. Most patients are even able to respond to any questions we put to them, although due to its amnesic effect, they don’t remember any of it.
IV sedation enables people with strong dental anxiety or phobia to get through their procedure so they get the dental care they need. Note that because it is so strong, you will need to have a ride home afterward, and someone to keep an eye on you for the rest of the day.
To learn more about sedation dentistry from the Center for Dental Anesthesia, please give our office a call. We also provide family dentistry, and many other dental services.
Contact Center for Dental Anesthesia:
703-379-6400
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
5284 Dawes Ave
Alexandria, Virginia
22311
