Sedation Dentistry- Springfield IL – Do I Need Local Anesthesia?

Do I Need Local Anesthesia?

One of the greatest anxieties of many when going to a dentist is the anesthetic injection. The fear of needles leads us to question our dentists if we really need them. Many dentists would suggest sedation dentistry that you will not feel a thing but local anesthesia is still included in the treatment plan. Why is this so?

Dentists like Dr. Matt VanderMolen of Advanced Dental Care are committed to providing a comfortable and stress free environment in their clinic. They have studied and developed different approaches to succeed in this. One notable practice is through conscious sedation. Sedation dentistry allows you to be worry free during the dental process. Mainly, sedatives depress your central nervous system at a certain degree. However, dental sedation does not automatically cover lack of pain. Thus, your dentist use local anesthesia.

Local anesthesia provides regional loss of sensation. That means that you will sense no pain on the area anesthetized. Anesthetic solutions will surround the nerve endings of your tooth and gums resulting to numbness. There are a few indications for local anesthesia. If a live tooth will undergo surgery like extraction, drilling or deep cleaning, your dentist may give you local anesthetics to ease distress and pain.

Dentists apply topical and injectable anesthetics when required.  They first secure the area to anesthetize from moisture and saliva. Topical anesthesia may be swabbed or sprayed. This is a pre-injectable anesthesia procedure.

Then, injectable anesthetics, which may trigger needle phobia, will be loaded. The needle puncture, usually, is not the painful part but the entrance of the anesthetic solution marks sensitivity. In about a few seconds to minutes, the area anesthetized will feel nothing but pressure and your dentist can finish his work without you knowing it. This perception may last for a few hours.

If you are nervous about needles or have other phobias surrounding dental care, sedation dentistry can give you the pain and anxiety-free visit you are looking for.  While under sedation, you will not feel the anesthetic being administered.

Dr VanderMolen is concerned about your comfort.  Find out if sedation dentistry is right for you by contacting our office at 217-546-3333.