Many people have a fear of seeing a dentist. Those fears typically focus around the fact that dealing with a dental issue can be painful. In addition, some people are very uncomfortable being confined to a dental chair for an extended period of time. That can often trigger anxiety attacks that are extremely uncomfortable for the patient. In order to help patients overcome these obstacles, a Sedation Dentist in Redding will use methods that are intended to help alleviate pain and also relax the patient. Here are some examples of how sedation dentistry will make a difference.
Use of a Local Anesthetic – One of the most common examples of how a Sedation Dentist in Redding makes a patient comfortable is to administer what is known as a local anesthetic. This process will usually begin by rubbing the gum with something that helps to reduce sensation a bit. From there, it is easier to inject a numbing agent into the area of the gum where the dental work will take place. For example, if the plan is to extract a tooth, the dentist will desensitize the gum, administer the shot, and then wait for the numbing to take place. Once that is done, the patient will find that having the tooth extracted is not very painful at all.
Laughing Gas – Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, can also be used for patients who tend to get a little anxious during a prolonged procedure. Typically, the gums are still deadened for the actual procedure, followed with the administration of the gas by using a mask that allows the patient to breathe in the gas. Once it takes effect, the patient is unlikely to be aware of the passage of time, but does still remain awake. This is important, since some procedures do call for the patient to be conscious. Typically, the gas will begin to wear off around the time that the procedure is completed. There are other methods that can be used, depending on the procedure and the needs of the patient. Click Here to learn more about newer approaches like sleep dentistry, and even how pain can be managed once the procedure is over. Doing so will help to take some of the fear out of seeing the dentist and make it possible to ensure that the teeth are healthy.
